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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24573349">Cat and Mouse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriuslyhooked/pseuds/siriuslyhooked'>siriuslyhooked</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Draco Malfoy - Freeform, F/M, Fantasy, Gen, Gryffindor, HPfanfic, Harry Potter Has a Sibling, Harry Potter Has a Twin, Harry Potter Sister, Hogwarts, Love, Magic, Mystery, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), Romance, Second War with Voldemort, Slytherin, harry potter fanfic, harry potter fanfiction, young adult fanfiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:16:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>121,641</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24573349</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriuslyhooked/pseuds/siriuslyhooked</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Presumed dead from the moment she was born, Katrina Potter has led a sheltered life, hidden away from the wizarding world for her own safety. Upon Voldemort's return, she is thrust back into the world that for years, she was forced to learn about from her books and through staring out her bedroom window. With so many questions swirling around her supposed return from the dead, she finds herself under an even harsher spotlight than her brother, a constant subject of scrutiny by the Ministry and her peers. Under threat of an impending war, Katrina adjusts to her new reality, while protecting her brother from those who mock him, including a certain blonde Slytherin, and his own stubbornness, and unbeknownst to them, she could be the key to tipping the war in favor of the light or the dark.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Reunion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katrina hated the turquoise paint that coated the walls of the kitchen. Maybe hate was too strong of a word for her feelings towards an inanimate object that did not choose its coloring to personally offend her. Frustration would be a better term but it was not the paint itself, just the spot directly above the stove. It was a slightly darker shade than the rest, unnoticed by the casual eye yet the minuscule detail taunted her. Was it a mistake or intentionally done by the painter to convey a deeper meaning?</p><p>A normal person would pay such a matter little attention, finding it the least interesting aspect of the vast space, but they had not been trapped in their homes for nearly fifteen years. Perhaps it was being in the kitchen day after day that made her ponder such philosophical questions about paint, being lost in her thoughts with nowhere else to go except other rooms around the manor. Over the years, Katrina had gotten used to the strict rules set by her guardian, knowing it was all for her safety.</p><p>Kane Carlisle had a reputation for being a stoic, formidable man. He graced the front page of countless newspapers during his career as an auror, defeating some of the most dangerous wizards in the world, and anyone who knew him will would not consider him the paternal type. It was exactly what led to the arrangement between him and Albus Dumbledore to care for Katrina. Moments after her birth, she was whisked away to his Manhattan manor concealed between a pair of decrepit apartment buildings. The retired auror had been chosen for his high security, not warmth and friendliness.</p><p>As Katrina grew older, so did her curiosity over her odd, sheltered life and at the tender age of ten, she learned the truth about her real family. She was not Katrina Stewart, the name she had given the elderly man who arrived at her home to provide her with a wand and whose memory was subsequently altered to forget meeting her. Her real name was Katrina Potter, twin sister of Harry Potter, a name she had seen many times when reading in the library Kane constructed for her, famous for destroying the dark wizard Lord Voldemort as an infant. Though she had read passages about that fateful night, she had no memory of her brother or her birth parents.</p><p>To the wizarding world, she was a tragic tale, a mere footnote in the very passages that praised her brother and his theorized future as a great wizard the likes of Merlin. The world and even her own parents believed her to be dead, having succumbed to unforeseen complications, but in actuality, a double was put in her place to fool the healers while Kane, disguised as a healer himself, left with a sleeping Katrina. The plan had been concocted by Dumbledore, who requested Kane's help in the deception. It was not done of malicious intent, but to protect her from a Lord Voldemort growing steadily in power.</p><p>Allied with her parents in the fight against the dark wizard, Dumbledore had been among those awaiting the arrival of the twins. When Katrina was born, he sensed a great power within her and feared that Voldemort would seek to capture her for his own wicked means. That great power revealed itself within minutes of Katrina being in her new home, Kane nearly dropping her due to a sudden pain in his wrist. Contacting Dumbledore, the two men discovered that she was gifted with a rare and dangerous ability to siphon magic from objects and people.</p><p>With the world believing her to be dead, Katrina was forbidden from traveling outside the manor. Her isolation meant that her interactions were limited to Kane and the few people aware of her existence. She knew that Kane cared for her in his own way but as the years passed, she craved what lied beyond the walls of the manor, even something as small as crossing the street. It did not help that she could hear and see the people out in the streets, oblivious to the teenage girl staring at them from her bedroom window.</p><p>At the sound of a roaring fire, Katrina lowered the piping bag of pink frosting from the tray of cupcakes. Kane entered the kitchen seconds later, bits of his beard and right cheek stained with blood. Knowing it was better to not ask questions, used to seeing him with blood that was typically not his, she handed him a rag from the counter and watched him wipe off his face.</p><p>"All set with the—oh, those smell good." A muscular boy around eighteen ambled through the doorway, his eyes on the decorated cupcakes. "You better have saved me one, tiger."</p><p>Katrina turned away, both to transfer the cupcakes onto a circular tray and hide her smile. It was a miracle that Kane put up with Jace, their personalities as opposite as night and day. Though Kane had long retired from heading the aurors at MACUSA, a decision that had been protested heavily by President Kowalski and the general public, it was more out of a desire to hunt down 'wizard scum' without limits rather than the purported excuse of his health. He maintained his connections within the department by overseeing auror training, allowing him to observe potential talent for his own task force.</p><p>It consisted of wizards and witches from around the world, chosen for their advanced abilities. Their training was ten times as grueling and the task force was given missions deemed too dangerous for the aurors, though the team was only known to President Kowalski. Through their efforts, the crime rate in the United States had dropped to an all time low. Jace was a recent addition to the team, his father being Kane's right-hand man, and while he was more than capable in a duel, his amicable nature was in direct contrast to the other members who were as wooden as Kane. He was the closest thing Katrina had to a friend, brightening up the dull manor with his presence.</p><p>Kane tossed aside the blood-stained rag. "This is a time sensitive operation, Moore," he told the dark-skinned boy, retrieving his wand from his back pocket. "We need to be in sync down to the millisecond. Are you ready, Katrina?"</p><p>Untying the polka dot apron around her waist, she nodded her head. Her hands involuntarily flinched when he reached for the pale blue fingerless gloves, relaxing at his assurances that it was a temporary measure. As Jace tucked the gloves into the pocket of his black trench coat, slipping her a subtle wink, she brushed back her wavy dark red hair and shut her eyes, preparing for the worst. Her fingers curled around the white marble countertop behind her, to keep her steady against the barrage of hexes that struck her in rapid succession. She could feel a painful stinging in her eyes and cuts like a sharp knife dragging across her porcelain skin.</p><p>An arm wrapped around her waist and with her heightened senses, she caught the scent of Jace's cologne. Kane outlined the plan step by step, down to the tiniest detail. At Jace's insistence, she leaned into his chest and a gust of wind swept around them, followed by loud, perplexed chattering.</p><p>Katrina was guided to an empty chair, doing her best to keep her hands at her sides. Her vision slowly returned as a cooling sensation passed over her face. Instead of the manor, she was inside an open cubicle covered with wanted posters and newspaper clippings, surrounded by Jace and a dozen strangers, all gawking at her like she was an animal in a zoo.</p><p>Kane had instructed her to act terrified but in this moment, there was no need for acting, her fear completely genuine. How could she not be when her first time in the outside world was under these circumstances? An older man with shoulder-length greying tawny hair limped to the front of the small group, narrowing his yellow eyes at Jace.</p><p>"Apologies for the intrusion, Scrimgeour. I was pursuing a case and it brought me to your territory." He conjured a manila folder. "Crispin Lee. A former auror in your Ministry—"<br/>
"We know who he is," interrupted another man, viciously.</p><p>"Well, he hasn't turned over a new leaf, as he claimed. He was in the middle of moving to a new safe house in Kent…to be closer to his former master, if the rumors are to be believed." The aurors tensed at his words. "I managed to get the drop on him and I found this young girl chained up in the basement. She's not much of a talker so I used a strand of her hair to get an idea of her identity. This is Katrina Potter."</p><p>Katrina's anxiety spiked up as they simultaneously whipped their heads in her direction. None of them looked convinced, except for a woman who acknowledged her striking resemblance to her mother. Another auror suggested using veritaserum but Scrimgeour, the man in charge, argued that it was not reliable. Bending down to eye level, he questioned Katrina about her whereabouts. Behind his back, Jace inclined his head and she began to recite the story she practiced with Kane for the past week, word for word. She tearfully claimed that Lee had masqueraded as a trainee healer in the newborn unit and kidnapped her for Voldemort, a form of revenge against her parents. When his master was defeated, Lee fled with her, keeping her locked up in the basement of his home, and with the news of Voldemort's return, he planned to return to Britain.</p><p>She winced when Scrimgeour ripped out a strand of her hair and placed it on a piece of parchment. Flicking his wand, a ball of golden light struck the hair and words appeared underneath the glowing strand. He scribbled on another piece of parchment, which vanished into thin air, and minutes later, she heard rapid knocking on the door. Scrimgeour met the visitors halfway: a portly man with rumpled grey hair, a short, squat woman, and a tall redheaded boy. Snatching the parchment from Scrimgeour, the portly man scanned it several times, as if expecting the words to change into something more satisfactory, while the toad-faced woman looked her over appraisingly.</p><p>"Complete nonsense, rubbish, all of it. Tear this up, Weasley," said portly man, shoving the parchment into the boy's chest. "What game is Dumbledore playing here, Moore?"</p><p>Jace raised his brow. "Perhaps you've forgotten but I work for MACUSA, not your Ministry or for a school headmaster. I would think you'd be delighted by this discovery, Minister. A tragic tale has turned into a heartwarming family reunion. I'm sure if her name wasn't Potter, you'd be reacting much differently."</p><p>"You expect me to believe that a girl declared dead minutes after birth is now sitting in front of us?" Some of the aurors shifted uncomfortably at his harsh laughter. "You must think me a fool."</p><p>"Oh, I definitely do." His eyes bulged at Jace's joke. "If it were one of your aurors, I'd question the legitimacy of such a find. They let a death eater infiltrate their ranks and steal a young girl from her family right under their noses. It would never happen under the watch of MACUSA. Just as I've done, Scrimgeour verified her identity yet you're too blind to see sense. I brought her here out of hope that you'd put politics aside but clearly that won't happen. I'll be taking Katrina to her relatives in Surrey. The only reason I will be contacting Headmaster Dumbledore is to enroll her at Hogwarts. I believe we're done here."</p><p>"Now see here, Moore, you cannot just take her," said Scrimgeour, firmly. "If her story is true, she's a witness to Lee's crimes."</p><p>"Katrina will gladly give a statement and then we will be leaving," Jace replied. "Feel free to sit in if you'd like more proof, Minister. I do suggest you send your men out to retrieve Lee before he escapes again. They'll find him tied up in the drawing room."</p><p>Katrina spent what felt like an eternity in the auror office. She repeated her statement over and over, being bombarded with questions from the British Minister. He continued to doubt her story, randomly throwing in accusations of being one of Dumbledore's allies under polyjuice potion or a criminal masquerading as 'the dead Potter' in exchange for immunity for her misdeeds. Having read articles in the <em>New York Ghost</em> about the British Ministry's response to Voldemort's alleged return, choosing to smear both Dumbledore and Harry as deluded, she expected the Minister to react unfavorably but he seemed determined to treat her like a mental patient, not an innocent teenage girl.</p><p>After an hour of grating questions, along with mistrustful looks from his assistant Weasley, she was led out of the office by Jace. He shielded her from view with his coat though it did little to hide the curious stares of passing Ministry employees.</p><p>Once they were alone, he handed back her gloves. "I know that was rough, Kat. Fudge isn't usually so…"</p><p>"Mean?" she asked, putting it nicely. "He still doesn't believe me."</p><p>"Didn't think he would, neither did Kane. All this animosity with Dumbledore has driven him a little crazy," he explained, as he healed her cuts. "I wish your first time out of the house wasn't having to deal with angry old men but we needed the distraction. Not everyone is going to react like that, I promise. Bet the newshounds at the <em>Daily Prophet</em> are already writing about your miraculous return so we should get going. Hold on tight."</p><p>Clutching her waist again, he apparated out of the Ministry and onto a patch of wet grass. They were standing across from a series of grimy houses, with broken windows, paint peeling from the doors, and piles of trash on the front steps. Jace extinguished the nearby street lamps before retrieving a strip of paper from his pocket. <em>The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London</em> was scrawled in narrow handwriting. As the paper turned to ash in her hand, she lifted her head to see another house, just as grimy and shabby, had formed between two others and Jace walked up the stone steps with her, tapping the battered door with his wand.</p><p>After a sequence of loud, metallic clicks, the door creaked open and he hurried her inside, shutting the door behind them. It was similar to the enchantments guarding Kane's manor but the inside was not as well-kept, a damp, rotting smell lingering in the air. The house looked like it had been abandoned, the flickering lights from gas lamps revealing cobwebs, moth-eaten curtains, torn portraits, and heavy layers of dust.</p><p>Kane was waiting at the bottom of the staircase. "Ten seconds early."</p><p>"Fudge was being worse than expected. He's skeptical but he won't be able to deny the story once Lee's brought in," said Jace, stowing his wand in his coat. "My memory altering charms are pretty damn good, if I say so myself."</p><p>"To be safe, go back to the Ministry. Shacklebolt will be on assignment for the night so you'll be able to fool them. Don't stay too long, just enough to ensure the interrogation is done correctly," warned Kane.</p><p>"I'll keep you updated, sir." Jace glanced down at an anxious Katrina. "Don't be scared. It'll go great."</p><p>With a soft pop, he apparated from the hallway. "He arrived an hour ago. No one knew he left his home with all the attention on you," said Kane, Katrina walking alongside him. "The Dark Lord's spies were already on their way to tell him the news before Scrimgeour confirmed it, according to Alaric. He's got a temper on him. Dumbledore would've been wise to let me crack him a bit but he claims to know what he's doing with the boy. Don't let it affect you."</p><p>"I won't," she replied, fiddling with her charm bracelet.</p><p>Together, they passed through a door at the end of the long hall and descended down a flight of stone steps. Behind a second door was a cavernous room with iron pots and pans hanging from the dark ceiling. At the center of the room was a long wooden table where a teenage boy and older man were seated across a pile of smoking rags. Katrina's nerves skyrocketed, leading her to hide behind Kane's burly frame. What unfolded next was a chaotic scene: a large cauldron of stew skidding across the table, a flagon of butterbeer tipped over, spilling its contents all over the floor, and a breadboard flew across the room, the knife sliding off and quivering ominously against the polished wood.</p><p>Katrina had never seen such disarray, Kane running his home like a tight ship. Even stranger was the laughter from the teenage boy, who shared her emerald green eyes, and the man, both ducking behind their chairs, though the amused sentiment was not shared by the redheaded woman who emerged from an archway to lecture a pair of redheaded twin boys sporting innocent grins.</p><p>"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" she screamed, her hands on her hips. "THERE WAS NO NEED—I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS—JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"</p><p>As more people cautiously stepped into the room, both adults and teenagers, carrying plates and cutlery, Kane interrupted the lecture with a swift flick of his wrist, clearing the mess and levitating the cauldron, flagon, and breadboard to their proper places. The twins spun around at their wands flying out of their hands and into his, Kane wearing a hardened expression that Katrina knew well from spying on his training sessions.</p><p>The woman clutched her chest. "Goodness, I didn't see you there, Kane. I apologize for the mess."</p><p>"Your boys lack discipline, Arthur," he told the balding man beside her.</p><p>"Forgive them," said the man, throwing a quelling look at his sons. "Now that they're of age, they're overeager to showcase their abilities outside of a classroom."</p><p>"Perhaps your Ministry should learn from MACUSA's example," replied Kane, not caring much for the excuse of 'kids will be kids'. "We don't allow them to practice magic unsupervised until they've proven to be responsible. Magic isn't a toy."</p><p>"Thank you for imparting your unwanted wisdom," the man at the table said, sarcastically. "You should see a healer about that wand that's been lodged up your backside, Carlisle. It was an innocent mishap, not—"</p><p>The man stopped mid-sarcastic rant when he spotted the sliver of Katrina peering over Kane's shoulder. Her heart raced at the dozens of pairs of eyes on her, some in confusion and some in excitement. As the man approached her, she instinctively hid behind Kane, her guardian halting him with a single look, his eyes narrowing a fraction of an inch.</p><p>"I wasn't—right, germaphobe." It appeared to be a substitute word for her siphoning abilities. "Didn't mean to scare you. I promise none of us bite. I'm Sirius."</p><p>"Katrina," she said, softly.</p><p>Flashing her a kind smile, he introduced her to the people around the room. In truth, it was unnecessary, having been informed by Kane days earlier in her bedroom with the intensity of a case briefing. The house was not only the family home of Sirius Black, Harry's godfather and one of her father's best friends, but the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, the organization created by Dumbledore to oppose Voldemort and his forces. She knew of Sirius's unfortunate past, being wrongfully convicted of being a death eater and an accomplice to the murder of her parents. Though he had escaped two years ago, the effects of his imprisonment were still evident by his long, matted hair and partially sunken face.</p><p>Kane spoke far more favorably of Remus Lupin, another close friend of her parents and Katrina's godfather. His perpetually tired appearance was a result of being a werewolf, an affliction he dealt with from a young age, but he was not like the terrifying beasts described in her books. The numerous redheads all belonged to the Weasley family, who were one of the oldest pureblood families but looked down upon for their openminded views towards muggles and their lack of wealth. Kane had mentioned her brother's tight-knit relationship with the Weasleys, thanks to their son Ron, viewing them as a second family.</p><p>His other best friend was Hermione Granger, a studious muggleborn, and next to her was Nymphadora Tonks, a metamorphous and auror who preferred to be called by her surname. What she assumed to be a pile of rags was Mundungus Fletcher, a criminal with a loyalty to Dumbledore. Sirius had saved her brother for last, who was eyeing her curiously. With a subtle nudge to her ribs from Kane, she stepped out from her preferred hiding place.</p><p>"Harry, Katrina is your sister."</p><p>Those five words sent the room into another frenzy, the teenagers unaware of her true identity.</p><p>"I—I don't have a sister," said Harry. His eyes darted from a shy Katrina to Sirius. "You never said—why wasn't she with me at the Dursleys? Why did you never tell me?"</p><p>"I'm sure you have many questions," said Lupin, hearing the rising anger in his voice. "Katrina was not an intentional secret. We only learned of her ourselves a couple days ago. I doubt your aunt and uncle would think to tell you about her, considering the circumstances. Until recently, Katrina was thought to have died in the hospital shortly after you two were born."</p><p>"Why? Where has she been?" he asked, concerned.</p><p>"Dumbledore arranged for her to go into hiding with Kane." Sirius made a soft noise of dissent. "He was once a highly respected auror in the United States and he continues to participate in their training. Dumbledore had intel that Voldemort was going to steal Katrina for unknown reasons and faking her death was a way to ensure her safety. We believed it was true."</p><p>"And we are all very glad that isn't the case," said Mrs. Weasley, picking up a ladle. "Come sit. We have plenty of food to go around."</p><p>Katrina jumped as the twins appeared on either side of her, simultaneously lowering themselves into bows. "A pleasure to meet you, m'lady. Fred," said the one to her right.<br/>
"And George," said the other.</p><p>"At your service," they chorused.</p><p>"Anything you need," said Fred, pulling out a chair. "Do not hesitate to ask."</p><p>Bill, the oldest brother, silently shook his head. Unsure of what to say, Katrina sat in the chair, Kane scaring the polite twins off by shoving their wands into their chests. She hoped to fade into the background her first night, free to observe the people around her but fate decided a different path, with Sirius keen on knowing every little piece of her life. Spending it within the confines of her home, there was not much to tell but he showed interest despite her mundane routine. It warmed her heart when he mentioned that her mother shared her love of reading, Kane, on the rare occasion of discussing her parents, always focusing more on their magical prowess than personal interests.</p><p>One of her fears was being treated like an outcast by her peers for her abnormal upbringing but the Weasley children and Hermione were all friendly and welcoming, her brother being the exception. He had not spoken a single word, his suspicious looks reminding her of Fudge. Halfway through dinner, everyone broke into side conversations, Tonks entertaining Hermione and Ginny by transforming her nose into various shapes, Bill, Mr. Weasley, and Remus discussing goblins, and Fred, George, and Ron were in hysterics over Mundungus's story about a past 'business deal'.</p><p>Feeling a tightening in her chest, Katrina excused herself to the bathroom. She slowed her breathing, maintaining her gaze on her reflection.</p><p>"I can do this," she whispered. "I'm in control."</p><p>"What are you doing?" Her fingers dug into the ceramic sink at Harry's voice. "Who are you talking to?"</p><p>Puzzled by his accusation, she followed his eyes to the mirror, a barely visible glimmer to the glass. She assumed it was enchanted, the glimmer caused by unintentional siphoning. Did he think that he was some sort of spy, delivering secret information to a death eater or Voldemort himself?</p><p>"I wasn't—I—I'm not used to being around lots of people. K—Kane always kept me inside," she stuttered. The mirror returned to normal. "I didn't think I'd meet all of them at once. It's a little scary. When I get nervous, my magic acts up."</p><p>Harry frowned. "I'm sorry. I've…with everything that happened in the graveyard and the dementor attack and almost being expelled, I've been…on edge. I was stuck with the Dursleys all summer, not knowing what Voldemort's been up to and always waiting for an attack. Then I find out I've got a twin sister who was supposedly dead but she's not and it feels like I know nothing. I shouldn't have been acting that way towards you. I can't imagine what it must've been like, to never be allowed outside…"</p><p>"Katrina." Kane appeared in the doorway, immediately observing her nerves. "Have you upset her, boy?"</p><p>"I have a name," Harry replied, irritated.</p><p>"Come along," he said, ignoring him. "Moore's returned. Lee's been taken into custody and corroborated your story."</p><p>Shaking off her fears, Katrina returned to the kitchen with Kane. Her cupcakes were on the table among other desserts. Wiping the pink icing from her lips, Ginny complimented her on her baking skills. Jace was sitting in Kane's empty seat, talking to an amused Sirius and mimicking Robards.</p><p>"All good?" Sirius asked her, as she sat at the table. "Jace was just telling us about some of the aurors are clearly under Fudge's influence. Robards sided with him that the kidnapping story is a load of dung."</p><p>"Don't worry," said Jace, tearing off the top of a cupcake and flipping it upside down to make a sandwich. "They won't find any proof. I've seen them at work. No offense, Tonks."</p><p>Tonks, her nose resembling a pig's snout, turned away from a giggling Ginny. "None taken. Rumor has it that he's after Scrimgeour's position and instead of skill, he's relying on sucking up to Fudge."</p><p>Katrina's mood improved considerably with Jace's arrival. He had a way of effortlessly bringing her out of her shell.</p><p>"From all the stories Kane's told us, I half expected your brother to be wearing a crown," he whispered. She stifled a giggle. "Think I could take him?"</p><p>Mrs. Weasley circled the table to collect the empty plates. The atmosphere in the room shifted from relaxed to tense as Sirius wondered aloud why Harry had not asked questions about Voldemort. Aside from Lupin, a frisson passed through the others at the table, Katrina knowing that most people were too frightened to use his actual name and preferred to call him 'he who must not be named' or 'you know who'. A heated argument exploded between Mrs. Weasley and Sirius about Harry's right to information, citing his young age and that he was not a member of the Order.</p><p>Mr. Weasley and Remus were roped into the debate, advocating for giving Harry a general picture of what they had learned over the summer. Katrina was starting to get dizzy from how fast her head moved back and forth, from the charged remarks between Mrs. Weasley and Sirius. Seeing that it was a losing battle, Mrs. Weasley agreed to Harry's stubborn request to hear the truth, inciting her children to plead to be allowed as well instead of being sent to their rooms.</p><p>"Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway!" said Ron hotly, after hearing Fred and George be reluctantly given the same permission. He glanced at Harry with uncertainty. "Won't—won't you?"</p><p>"Course I will," replied Harry.</p><p>"Fine!" shouted a vexed Mrs. Weasley. "Fine! Ginny, why don't you go show Katrina to her room? It's the one next to yours and—"</p><p>"Katrina's well-informed on the situation," said Kane, nonchalantly. "She knows as much as I do."</p><p>Mrs. Weasley was at a loss for words. "Why on Earth would you—Kane, she isn't—fine, fine! Ginny—BED!"</p><p>Ginny's raging towards her protective mother could be heard all the way up the stone steps. Lupin left the kitchen at the sound of earsplitting shrieks, accompanying Ginny's shouting, and returned minutes later, muffling the younger girl and Mrs. Weasley's voices by closing the door. Harry wasted no time, wanting to know everything about Voldemort's schemes. Katrina had heard all of it from Kane, often being woken in the middle of the night and struggling not to fall asleep. The dark wizard was choosing to lay low, careful not to arouse any suspicion with his actions. Harry ruined that by not only surviving the attack during the third task of the Triwizard Tournament but alerting Dumbledore of his resurrection.</p><p>"After he reconvened the old members of the Order, he reached out to Kane, who was an important ally during the first war," said Lupin, lowering his goblet of wine. "During his time as an auror, he became quite connected throughout the wizarding world with powerful people he and as an extension, the Order could use to have an ear to the ground around those we may not typically associate with in our daily lives."</p><p>"Arrogant, high-society purebloods," Sirius told a puzzled Harry. "It's no secret that a lot of them were on board with Voldemort's ideas. You've probably heard their own children parroting their beliefs about blood purity at school. As far as they're concerned, Carlisle is a neutral bystander, though they want him on their side. He may be an insufferable ass but the aurors at MACUSA, like Jace, are considered the best in the wizarding world."</p><p>"Precisely why Kane coordinated with us on retrieving you from Privet Drive." Lupin nodded towards Katrina. "It's no coincidence that Katrina arrived on the same night. While we were getting you, Jace brought her to the Ministry, pretending that he found her in the residence of a formerly accused death eater. It provided a cover with the Ministry dealing with her reappearance instead of spying on you, the same for Voldemort. No doubt his spies in the Ministry informed him without hesitation."</p><p>"But what if they figure out it's a lie?" asked Harry.</p><p>Jace chuckled. "The Scottish national team will beat the US team before they even find a flaw. You give them too much credit. No offense again, Tonks."</p><p>They continued to explain the Ministry's staunch belief that Dumbledore and Harry were spreading lies to destroy the peace built in the years after Voldemort's defeat, refusing to listen to reason. In Fudge's blinkered mind, it was an attempt by the elderly wizard to steal his position as Minister, resorting to having the <em>Daily Prophet</em> print false stories about him and Harry to ruin their credibility. Dumbledore, unfazed by Fudge's scorn, did not relent, leading to him being removed from Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards, blaming it on his proposed mental instability.</p><p>"But if Voldemort's trying to recruit more death eaters, it's bound to get out that he's come back, isn't it?" asked Harry, desperately.</p><p>"He doesn't do it out in the open," said Katrina, surprising the others. She had read about the previous wizarding war and Voldemort's preferred methods. "He blackmails them or puts them under the imperius curse. It's why some of his followers lied that they weren't in control…to evade prison."</p><p>She blushed at Sirius's grin. "Katrina's right. In any case, gathering followers is only one thing he's interested in. He's got other plans too, plans he can put into operation very quietly indeed, and he's concentrating on them at the moment."</p><p>When Harry questioned what Voldemort was after, Katrina noticed the adults exchange fleeting glances and Kane tightened the grip on his goblet. Jace was purposely avoiding direct eye contact with her, meaning their conversation had drifted into top secret territory.</p><p>"Stuff he can only get by stealth," said Sirius, cautiously. "Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time."</p><p>The conversation was cut short by Mrs. Weasley, who believed that the teenagers heard more than enough and wanted them in bed. Harry's eagerness to join the Order was promptly shot down by Lupin, the organization comprised of overage wizards out of school. Along with Mrs. Weasley and Jace, he led Katrina and the other children out of the kitchen.</p><p>Jace stopped at the bottom of the staircase. "I have to meet my father and Elizabeth back home." Bundling her sleeves over her hands, Katrina hugged him. "Get some rest and I'll bring Purrsephone with me when I come back. She's safe with me."</p><p>After giving her back a light squeeze, he headed towards the front door. "Is he your boyfriend?"</p><p>On the second to last step, Hermione nudged Harry's side. Katrina was taken aback by the question, her brother seemingly not the only one interested in her answer.</p><p>"N—no," she replied.</p><p>"Up to bed," said Mrs. Weasley, giving the twins (Katrina thought they looked relieved) a tiny shove.</p><p>At the first landing, they separated, with Ginny and Hermione entering the second door on the right and Lupin opening the next door. Inside was a high-ceilinged room with a single bed and a dusty chandelier.</p><p>"Kane did mention your love of reading before you arrived. I think you'll find some quite interesting books in that cupboard," he said, with a small smile. "I have something else you might like."</p><p>Reaching into the pocket of his shabby robes, he held up a silver necklace. A pendant hung in the middle, a doe etched into the silver with emeralds for eyes. It was a gift from her father to her mother during their seventh year at Hogwarts. After the death of her parents, he found the necklace in her jewelry box when assisting Order members to sift through the wreckage of their home.</p><p>Lupin placed the necklace in her hand. "I thought you'd appreciate having something to remember them by. Losing you was the hardest thing they ever dealt with and I know they'd be overjoyed to see you alive and well."</p><p>"Thank you," she replied, grateful for the personal gift.</p><p>Opening the suitcase on her bed, Katrina changed into her black silk nightgown and took out a white wool blanket, her name stitched in pink yarn. Before receiving her mother's necklace, the blanket was the sole item tying her to her parents.</p><p>Just as she drifted off to sleep, she was woken up by a firm hand on her shoulder. She blinked twice, seeing Kane at the side of her bed. His voice sounded distant, though she was able to hear mutterings of getting dressed, and as he shut the door, she sleepily grabbed a sweatshirt and cotton shorts from her suitcase. Kane brought her to a spacious room on a floor below the kitchens. He was unconcerned with making noise, fortifying the room with enchantments.</p><p>"Your training doesn't stop, no matter where you are," he said, handing her a pair of escrima fighting sticks. "Don't go soft because of your brother. What did I tell you this morning?"</p><p>"No distractions." She blocked his attack. "You were right about his temper. He's paranoid…anxious…headstrong…</p><p>"A poor combination," he advised. "Black likely sees it as bravery but there's a thin line between that and stupidity."</p><p>From the age of three, Kane taught her how to defend herself, starting with simple drills. Very few people knew that he had put her through his rigorous training program, where she learned how to fight with and without spells. It was what made his team a considerable force, its members well-equipped to handle a situation where magic may not be a viable or safe option. He never showed her any mercy, for her age or size, training with her many hours of the day. Despite the fact that she was unable to leave his manor, he wanted her prepared for any possible attack.</p><p>"What's the weapon?" she asked, almost striking his forearm.</p><p>"Taking a sudden interest in matters of the Order?" he countered. "Is that boy rubbing off on you already?"</p><p>She dodged the swing of his stick that neared her cheek. "Do you plan on keep calling him that?" He smirked, their sticks connecting with each block. "If the Order doesn't tell him, he seems like the type that'll try to find out himself. He's my only family so I'd rather he not get killed because of some half-baked plan. I want to protect him."</p><p>"How noble but from what Albus tells me, it will be a futile effort," said Kane. "Voldemort won't merely have one of his men kill him. He'll want it to be a spectacle, which makes you the higher value target. You need to focus on yourself, not your bullheaded brother."</p><p>Katrina staggered backwards as he elbowed her in the face. With a swipe of her leg, he knocked her down to the floor, his stick inches from her chin.</p><p>"You need to be ready." She wiped the blood under her nose. "You stay alert at Hogwarts and trust no one. Understood?"</p><p>Tugging hard on the stick, she simultaneously kicked at his knee. He ever so slightly lost his footing and just as he regained it, she swiped at his other leg. The motion sent him onto his back and her knee pressed into his chest, restricting his movements.</p><p>"Good," he said, both of them rising from the floor. "Get your wand out. Don't hold back. No hesitations…"</p><p>"No distractions," she whispered, taking out her wand.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Judging by the soreness in Katrina's limbs, Kane was not only intent on retaining her daily routine but pushing her to her limit. The intensified rigor could easily be contributed to her brother and his, in Kane's view, lack of discipline. He seemed to harbor the belief that Harry would be a terrible influence, undoing all that he had instilled in her. There was no question that the siblings, though they shared physical similarities, experienced different upbringings. It was not just the fact that Harry lived with their muggle relatives who flinched at the mere mention of magic while Katrina learned magic from a young age but their opposing personalities, with Harry being the more impulsive and stubborn of the two.</p><p>The next morning, the soreness lingered, Katrina choosing to remain in bed. Hearing the door creak, she half expected a surprise lesson from Kane and lifted her head, wincing from the shooting pain in her neck. Instead of her guardian, Sirius stepped into the room, carrying a tray of scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and a cup of green tea. Shutting the door with the back of his heel, he explained that Kane left at the crack of dawn for a meeting at MACUSA.</p><p>"He was very specific to Molly about what you could eat." Katrina scooted back as he neared the bed, her wool blanket and the duvet underneath acting as a shield. "I know you're not used to all this yet so I told her to let you have a lie-in. If you want some bacon, it'll be our little secret."</p><p>He lowered the tray onto the bed. "I'm a vegetarian," she replied, uncorking the vial on the tray.</p><p>She poured its contents into the tea, stirring the golden powder with a spoon. Taking a sip, she held back a grimace, never used to the bitter taste. The palms of her hands briefly emitted a reddish glow. As she picked up a fork, she waited for him to leave but he remained seated on the edge of the bed, possibly hoping for a chance to continue their conversation from dinner the previous night. Most of the Order members had left shortly after Kane, either to their jobs, pretending it was a day like any other, or out on assignment. Remus was visiting an old friend of his, to glean information on werewolves being swayed to Voldemort's ranks.</p><p>"I see he gave you the necklace. I helped your father pick you out, you know," said Sirius, chuckling to himself. "He was dreadful at getting gifts, especially for your mother. I doubt Carlisle ever said as much but you look just like she did at your age. I bet you crinkle your nose the same too. With how often she used to do it around your father, I thought she'd get stuck that way."</p><p>Katrina bit back a smile, happy with any tidbits about her parents. She would not have minded listening to Sirius tell her stories the rest of the day. As she finished her meal, he encouraged her to get dressed to meet Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys, who were assisting Mrs. Weasley with a deep-dive cleaning of the dilapidated house. Changing out of her nightgown, she followed Sirius to a room on the first floor, where the others, their faces wrapped in cloths, sprayed bottles of black liquid at the moss-green velvet curtains.</p><p>A bucket next to Mrs. Weasley was filled with doxies, fairy-like pests covered in thick black hair. Katrina noticed Fred and George pocket the tiny creatures. Moving away from the bucket, Mrs. Weasley tiptoed over to the doorway, looking uncertain.</p><p>"Katrina, dear, if this is too much for you, I understand," she whispered. "Merlin knows what's hiding in this place. We may encounter some hexed objects and I don't want you in any danger."</p><p>"I'll be okay," said Katrina, raising her hands. Instead of pale blue, she was wearing peach-colored gloves to match her cardigan. "They protect me from any…accidents. I want to help however I can."</p><p>"That's the spirit." Sirius grabbed a bloodstained sack from a tattered armchair. "Better get back to feeding Buckbeak. I can introduce you later, if you like, Katrina. Ever seen a hippogriff?"</p><p>Her eyes lit up in excitement at the prospect. Taking a tea towel from Mrs. Weasley, she tied it around her face and listened to her instructions on handling the doxies. She stood beside Harry, who sprayed two vicious doxies in the face and chucked their stunned bodies into the overflowing bucket. Most of the morning was spent fighting the doxies. As Katrina moved the towel from her mouth, something brushed up against her leg and she looked down to see a ginger, bandy-legged cat, bending down to scratch behind its ear.</p><p>At the sound of the doorbell, Mrs. Weasley hurried out of the room, amid loud shrieks. "It's just Sirius's mother," said Harry, sensing her unease. "Her portrait starts screaming whenever there's a lot of noise."</p><p>"Batty old woman," muttered Ron.</p><p>"Did you sleep okay?" Katrina nodded, watching the cat, apparently belonging to Hermione, sniff at a bowl of doxy eggs. "Well, if you—"</p><p>Harry was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley's shouting, amplified by the portrait's screeches about dishonor and blood traitors. Their voices carried through the open door, Mrs. Weasley shouting at Mundungus Fletcher over harboring stolen cauldrons. As George started to shut the door, a house-elf, dressed in a filthy rag, edged into the room. With its baggy skin and white hair growing out of its bat-like ears, it appeared to be very old.</p><p>Not acknowledging anyone else in the room, it shuffled around the room, mumbling to itself, and froze when spoken to by Fred. The house-elf eyed them all malevolently, still mumbling in audible whispers. Ron and Ginny reacted angrily when he called Hermione a mudblood, a crass term for muggleborns, but Hermione paid the insult no mind ("It doesn't matter," she whispered. "He's not in his right mind"), attempting to be cordial to the rude house-elf. His pale eyes lingered on Harry and Katrina in uncomfortable silence.</p><p>"The dead girl," muttered Kreacher. "Mistress would be most upset to hear she survived. Kreacher wonders if the rumors are true about the little abomination—"</p><p>"Oy, watch your tone!" said Fred, eyeing him with dislike.</p><p>Hermione outstretched her arm to hold back Harry, Ron, and Ginny. "I—it's fine," said Katrina, believing, like her, that Kreacher's mind was addled from old age.</p><p>George glared at the house-elf. "No, it's not. What do you want anyway?"</p><p>Kreacher's excuse of cleaning was met with an audible scoff. Sirius was standing in the doorway, glowering as the house-elf flung himself into an extremely low bow. Though he called Sirius Master, he regarded him with the same disdain, whispering about him being ungrateful and a disappointment, before being sent away to prevent him from stealing a faded, torn tapestry.</p><p>"Keep muttering and I will be a murderer!" snapped Sirius, slamming the door shut. "Ignore him, Katrina. He's always been a foul thing. I wouldn't take the word of a creature that cries over an old woman's stockings seriously."</p><p>Walking across the room, he showed them the tapestry, depicting the Black family tree. All of the names were connected by strands of golden thread, some charred through the fabric like a cigarette burn. Sirius's own name was one of those burned, done by his mother after he ran away at the age of sixteen. Fed up with his family, he stayed with Harry and Katrina's father, their grandparents treating him like a second son. He pointed to his brother's name towards the bottom of the tree. Unlike Sirius, who rejected his family's pureblood-mania, his younger brother Regulus upheld their ideals by joining the death eaters, though he was murdered after panicking over what loyalty to Voldemort entailed and seeking a way out.</p><p>As they studied the vast family tree, Katrina was distracted by a tingling in her fingers. She glanced at the dusty glass-fronted cabinets on either side of the mantelpiece, filled with an assortment of objects. Peering into the right cabinet, she found herself drawn to a tarnished silver box inscribed with several runes.</p><p>"Lunch," she heard, shaking her out of a stupor.</p><p>A red-faced Mrs. Weasley returned to the room, levitating a tray loaded with sandwiches and cake. "Katrina, dear, can you come with me?"</p><p>Stepping away from the cabinet, she walked down the staircase with Mrs. Weasley and down the dimly lit corridor. At the end of the corridor was Albus Dumbledore, who greeted Karina with a warm hug. He was one of the few people that Katrina felt comfortable around, having popped into Kane's manor from time to time to check on her. Their last meeting had been the previous summer, the night of the attack at the Quidditch World Cup. He had contemplated bringing her to Hogwarts back then but chose to remain cautious, not entirely certain if his suspicions about Voldemort were correct.</p><p>"You're looking well. You've grown since we've last met. Thank you for that lemon bar recipe. I'm not as talented as a baker as you but I believe they came out quite well. When you are at Hogwarts, you'll need to give me your opinion." Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat. "But I'm here on slightly more important business."</p><p>"Did something happen to Kane?" asked Katrina, fearing the worst.</p><p>"No, but I'm sure he's imagining President Kowalski's head on fire. He doesn't have the patience for long meetings." Her lips twitched upward at Dumbledore's humorous yet apt remark. "With all the news surrounding your miraculous return, I thought it best to have you sorted before the start of term. No need for you to stand out more among a sea of first years."</p><p>Opening the door to his left, she saw a room that had not yet endured Mrs. Weasley's intense cleaning. Another man was standing beside the wooden table, his sallow face illuminated by the chandelier. He had an authoritative aura, with his shoulder-length hair framing his face like curtains and dark, penetrating eyes. Mrs. Weasley introduced him as Severus Snape, the potions professor at Hogwarts.</p><p>"It's nice to meet you," said Katrina, politely.</p><p>The man gave no reply, looking over her shoulder as if she was invisible. "Shall we begin, headmaster?"</p><p>"Take a seat, Katrina." He lifted a frayed hat from a cardboard box, a tear across the brim resembling a mouth. "Once the sorting is complete, I've arranged for Professor Snape to ensure you're prepared for your lessons. I wouldn't want you falling behind your peers."</p><p>The hat was gently lowered on her head, obscuring her vision. She was unsure how the sorting worked, only knowing that Hogwarts students were assigned to one of four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.</p><p>A small voice in her ear interrupted her thoughts. "My, my, aren't you an interesting one? The lost Potter. Difficult to place…very difficult. Intelligent beyond your years and creative…loyal, kind, hard-working…courageous…resourceful…you'd do well in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. I sense a desire in you. Such power but that matters little to you, doesn't it, young Potter? You want to protect your brother from harm. Well then…Gryffindor!"</p><p>Katrina quietly sighed in relief. Considering her brother was a Gryffindor, she had hoped to be in the same house. Being separated would make watching over him much more difficult, the four houses not well-known for their unity. Jace knew about Hogwarts from cousins on his mother's side who attended the school and according to him, the houses mostly stuck to their own members, the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin being particularly extreme.</p><p>Congratulating her, Dumbledore set the hat back in the box and exited the room with an delighted Mrs. Weasley. Katrina stopped herself from calling out to them, not wanting to admit that the stern professor frightened her. She was used to limited conversation, Kane preferring a brief exchange, but Snape would not even look at her, conjuring a set of textbooks, a potions kit, and a cauldron onto the table.</p><p>"Carlisle tells me he's taught you well but I presume he adhered to the Ilvermorny curriculum," he said, flipping through a textbook. "Each school focuses on different measures, which is why the headmaster chose this option. We'll begin with the first year curriculum. Have you brewed potions before?"</p><p>"Yes," she replied, opening the potions kit.</p><p>"Your brother lacks the competence required for such an art so I suppose we'll see if it runs in the family." He placed the textbook in front of her. "A boil cure potion. It's very simple but if you fail, the consequences will not be dire."</p><p>It took all of her strength to hold her tongue. She did not disagree that it was a simple potion, thinking it was almost too easy, but Snape already seemed predisposed to despising her, thanks to a perceived dislike of her brother. Staying silent, to avoid upsetting him, she started to work on the boil cure potion. Throughout the hour, Snape kept his back to her, except to observe her work in between reading from his book.</p><p>"Why have you added three porcupine quills?" He peered at the simmering cauldron. "The instructions state two."</p><p>"The extra quill activates the healing faster," she said, stirring the potion.</p><p>"Did Carlisle teach you that?" he asked, intrigued.</p><p>The potion turned indigo blue. "No. I read about their properties and I thought it made sense."</p><p>Hearing no response, she extinguished the flame and glanced up from her cauldron. Snape was staring at her, the first time he had not avoided her gaze, his dark eyes momentarily losing their emptiness. Just as soon as she could discern any kind of emotion, it vanished and the hook-nosed professor inspected the potion.</p><p>"Perhaps you're not as hopeless as your brother," he said, an odd compliment. "Let's carry on."</p><p>Over the next couple of weeks, Katrina split her time between assisting with decontaminating the house, throwing out hexed objects (unless Kreacher managed to smuggle them behind Sirius's back), and tutoring sessions with Snape. At the end of their first session, any progress she made towards currying Snape's favor, or at least not having him compare her to her brother, was diminished by the arrival of Sirius. From the second they locked eyes, it was obvious that the two men outright despised each other, supported by how they spat the other's name like it was made of slime. In her subsequent sessions, Sirius attempted to join, to protect Katrina from 'unfair treatment', until he was shooed away by Mrs. Weasley.</p><p>His unfavorable opinion of the potions professor was not uncommon. Harry could write a novel with the amount of vitriol he held for Snape, a mutual vitriol by how often Snape made snippy comments about him. The Weasleys, Hermione, and even Jace held their own contempt, Jace's coming from stories of how he treated his cousin. He was against the one-on-one sessions when he learned of them from Katrina, though he would never voice his reservations aloud to Kane. Katrina was unable to describe how she felt about Snape, his attitude towards her changing in an instant. One minute, he praised her spellwork and the next, he acted like she wore an invisibility cloak.</p><p>On the day of Harry's trial, her hopes of accompanying him were dashed by Dumbledore, who preferred for her to stay out of the spotlight. It sounded rather pointless to her, the <em>Daily Prophet</em> churning out multiple articles speculating on her sudden rise from the dead. Some articles were innocent, mentioning the circumstances of her supposed death, while others were better suited for gossip magazines, insinuating that she had the social graces of a wild animal and was as mentally unstable as Harry. Her training with Kane provided her with an escape from the Ministry's gutter tactics.</p><p>"Is there a reason Moore is lurking outside the door?" Snape's dark eyes flickered from the guinea pig in a cage to the door. "His skills may be overrated."</p><p>"He doesn't like you very much," she admitted. "He says you're mean to his cousin. Hannah Abbott."</p><p>A soft scoff escaped his lips. "Abbott can hardly tell the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane." When Katrina countered that they were the same plant, he turned towards her. "A fact Miss Abbott wouldn't know, despite it being on her first year exams. I rest my case."</p><p>For a moment, she wondered if it was his version of a joke. Jace knocked on the door, announcing the arrival of her Hogwarts letter. The cage vanished with a flick of Snape's wand.</p><p>"I have business to attend to," he said, rising from the table. "I will inform Professor Dumbledore that you're at a sufficient level. What is this?"</p><p>Katrina held out a thick black leather book. "The new medieval potions book by Phineas Bourne. Kane got an advanced copy for me last night. He saved Bourne's granddaughter years ago from a werewolf so he gets special access. I finished it but I thought you might like to read it."</p><p>Jace was waiting outside the room, casually leaning against the wall. Crookshanks and Katrina's ragdoll kitten Purrsephone circled around his legs. When Jace returned to Grimmauld Place with her belongings, she endured lighthearted teasing from Harry over her kitten's unique name. Purrsephone took a quick liking to Crookshanks, following the larger ginger cat around the house like a duckling. Mrs. Weasley bustled past them, a laundry basket tucked under her arm, and told her to get ready for their trip to Diagon Alley, Katrina needing to purchase her school robes. Picking up Purrsephone, her dark paws tapping against Katrina's knee-high boots, she headed up to her room with Jace. She grabbed a black pea coat from her closet and slipped her coin purse into her matching leather purse.</p><p>Hearing a commotion above them, they found Mrs. Weasley squeezing an embarrassed Ron in a bone-crushing hug in his and Harry's room. Fred and George were wearing mirrored expressions of disgust while Hermione and Harry stood by one of the beds, freshly laundered robes sorted into two piles. In both Hermione and Ron's hands, Katrina spotted a scarlet and gold badge, a large <em>P</em> superimposed over a lion.</p><p>Through Mrs. Weasley's shrieks, she referred to him as a prefect and Katrina vaguely remembered Jace mentioning a similar position at Ilvermorny. Prefects were students chosen by their head of house to be given extra responsibilities like patrolling the corridors and supervising their fellow students. It was not surprising that Hermione, top of her class and strait-laced, had been given such a role but Ron did not strike her as someone to enforce the rules. Overjoyed, Mrs. Weasley the room, the twins disapparating seconds later after taunting the new prefects and Ron chasing after his mother to tell her his preferred broom for a gift.</p><p>"I'll meet you down there," Katrina whispered to Jace.</p><p>Her brother was fiddling with the pile of robes. After congratulating Hermione, she waited for her to leave with Hedwig, Jace at her heels.</p><p>"Are you okay?" she asked Harry, who was kneeling by his trunk.</p><p>"Yeah, great," he replied, in a strangely hearty tone. "Why wouldn't I be?"</p><p>"Maybe because you're not a prefect?" she suggested. He stiffened at her words. "I know we haven't known each other that long but did you really want it? You don't seem like the type. Neither does Ron, to be fair."</p><p>"I'm happy for him, Katrina, really." His tone remained unchanged as he faced her. "Why are you all dressed up?"</p><p>Katrina looked down at her outfit, one typically worn by the teenage girls and women that walked by the manor unaware of the girl hidden behind a magical barrier. She did not think that she was overdressed, with her sheer black tights, golden sequin skirt, and red short-sleeved blouse, but to a boy, anything other than a basic shirt and pants would constitute as fancy.</p><p>"It's how we dress in America, especially in Manhattan. We get a lot of inspiration from the muggle world," she said, adjusting her gloves. "I'm going to Diagon Alley with Mrs. Weasley and Kane's always saying to make a good impression, even to a complete stranger."</p><p>"I could come with you," he offered. "I'm sure Fudge has his <em>Daily Prophet</em> goons tracking your every move to get a picture and I'd be a good distraction."</p><p>"I appreciate that but I don't think the Order want you out in the open. Jace is coming so he can chase them off." Harry scrunched his nose. "I don't care what they say about me. All that matters is I know the truth."</p><p>"Be careful," he said, seriously. "A death eater could be right under your nose out there and some of them don't need disguises."</p><p>"Promise," she replied, crossing her fingers.</p><p>Katrina did not enjoy traveling with floo powder, averse to feeling like a trapped sardine in a can. What made it worse that the fireplace in Grimmauld Place led to the Leaky Cauldron, a packed pub. Even without her picture being in the newspapers, many of its patrons appeared to have some semblance of her identity, whispering about her striking resemblance to her mother. Anyone contemplating approaching her was deterred by Jace, who practically dared them to make a move to invoke his wrath. As Mrs. Weasley guided them to the rear of the pub, the bald, toothless bartender, looking on the verge of tears, gave Katrina a kind wave.</p><p>Mrs. Weasley tapped her wand three times against a brick in the walled courtyard and an archway formed, revealing a cobblestone street lined with shops and restaurants. Katrina's eyes darted back and forth, taking in all the different sights, but she doubted even a full day would be sufficient to explore the entirety of Diagon Alley. Half-listening to Mrs. Weasley and Jace, she looked around at the enormous crowd of witches and wizards.</p><p>"We'll meet you there, Mrs. Weasley. Come on, Katrina." Purrsephone's head poked out of her purse. "Think she's as excited as you. You're even making the same face."</p><p>"I thought she'd like the fresh air," replied Katrina. Mrs. Weasley was walking into a quidditch shop. "Shouldn't we stick together?"</p><p>"You need more than the others so while she's getting Ron's broom, we'll get your robes," he said, leading her through the crowd. "Trust me, no one's dumb enough to cause a scene in the middle of Diagon Alley. Too many witnesses."</p><p>At Madam Malkin's, the aforementioned witch fitted her for her robes. While she was poked and prodded with pins, Jace kept an eye on the busy street. After she paid Madam Malkin for her robes, they met a breathless Mrs. Weasley at Flourish and Blotts, a book shop, her arms burdened with a long package wrapped in thick brown paper. With Jace reading over the list, she perused the shelves for her required textbooks, Mrs. Weasley heading into the secondhand section.</p><p>"That must be Kane," he said, digging into his coat pocket. He handed her the list. "It might be sensitive information so I should step away. All that's missing is Defensive Magical Theory. Don't think I've read that one. I'll find you when I'm done."</p><p>Katrina continued down the shelves. She was wary of touching the books, unaware if they were enchanted. Though she trusted Kane's skills, having worn her gloves since she was about five, a nagging internal voice always warned her that one slip-up could lead to a terrible accident.</p><p>
  <em>BANG</em>
</p><p>Startled by the ear-splitting blast, coming from within the nearby joke shop, she stumbled into the shelf of defense books. Purrsephone hopped out of her purse, dashing out of the sight.</p><p>"Purrsephone, come b—"</p><p>Rounding the same corner, Katrina collided with something hard, knocking her to the floor. Across from her was a tall boy with well-coiffed white blonde hair, one hand against his temple and the other steadying him against a bookcase. He angrily muttered under his breath. Rubbing her shoulder, she scrambled to her feet, her mind still reeling with Purrsephone's disappearance.</p><p>"I—I'm sorry. I didn't—I should've been looking where I was going," she said, apologetically. "I have a healing paste in my bag, if you need it."</p><p>The boy simply stared at her, his mouth hanging open. "It's fine." He lowered his hand to his side. "I've gotten knocked around worse in a quidditch match."</p><p>"That's good." She realized it was a poor choice of words. "Not that you get hurt playing quidditch. I meant—sorry, I'm all over the place. My cat got spooked by what was going on in that joke shop and she's not used to loud noises. I don't know where she went."</p><p>"Do you want help finding her?" he asked, stepping towards her. "Two pairs of eyes are better than one. What does she look like?"</p><p>"She's white with dark markings on her paws and ears and she has a blue collar," she said, hoping the adventurous kitten had not bolted out onto the street.</p><p>Katrina searched the book shop, growing more concerned as she could not find Purrsephone or Jace. Being confined to Kane's manor with little social interaction had strengthened their connection. Checking underneath a table of Divination books, she heard someone clear their throat. The blonde boy was holding a mewing Purrsephone with one hand.</p><p>In her haste to stand, Katrina almost banged her head on the table. He had found Purrsephone pawing at books in the creatures section, likely fascinated by the moving animals on the cover.</p><p>"Thank you," said Katrina, taking the kitten and placing her in her purse. "If you didn't help, I don't know if I would've been able to find her."</p><p>His grey eyes fell on the supply list, Purrsephone nibbling on the edge. "Do you go to Hogwarts? I've never seen you before and you wouldn't exactly blend in…with your accent."</p><p>"I just moved here." It was technically the truth. "I'll be in fifth year."</p><p>"I'll be going into fifth year too," he replied. "I could tell you all about it at Fortescue's ice cream parlor. I'm Draco Malfoy."</p><p>Katrina was saved from thinking up an excuse for not shaking his outstretched hand by Jace appearing at her side. A charged tension circulated the two boys, Draco's kind demeanor swiftly replaced with a contemptuous glare.</p><p>"Moore," he hissed.</p><p>"Malfoy, out and about? I'm shocked," said Jace, mockingly. "Shouldn't you be harassing your newest house-elf instead of a girl?"</p><p>"H—he wasn't bothering me," whispered Katrina. "Purrsephone ran off and he helped me find her."</p><p>"How convenient that he was there." His tone suggested that it was not a coincidence. "Whatever you were doing, Malfoy, go back to it and leave her alone. She doesn't need to be associated with your filth."</p><p>"Draco, here you are. Why is Pansy crying to her father that you left her in the apothecary? I've taught you better manners than that," said an irritated voice.</p><p>A middle-aged man, his resemblance to Draco undeniable, walked towards them, gripping a snake-headed cane. The way he carried himself reminded her of Kane, imposing and powerful, yet she doubted he faced much hardship in his life, judging by his expensive traveling cloak and his air of superiority.</p><p>"Well, well, the young Moore. Aren't you far from home? What brings you to Diagon Alley? Surely MACUSA's rising star has much on his plate." His cold eyes drifted from Jace to a curious Katrina. "Oh my, isn't this a pleasure? There's no mistaking that lovely face. The lost Potter. Katrina, isn't it? Lucius Malfoy."</p><p>As his father held out his hand, several emotions, from confusion to disbelief, flickered across Draco's face. Katrina retreated slightly behind a snarling Jace.</p><p>"Your return is nothing short of a marvel," he said, amused. "To think you survived such a terrifying ordeal and yet a stranger wouldn't know it. How intriguing that your savior is at your side."</p><p>"I like to follow up on my cases," replied Jace. "Maybe you should keep that in mind if Scrimgeour's office ever wises up to you and asks my Ministry for assistance in the matter. It'll be a big change from a cushy manor to a jail cell."</p><p>Mr. Malfoy merely chuckled at the threat. "That recklessness of yours…it will get you in trouble one day, Moore. Come along, Draco. We shouldn't keep the Parkinsons waiting." He turned back to Katrina. "An honor, Miss Potter. I do hope we will meet again under better circumstances."</p><p>Looking at Katrina, losing the harshness he reserved for Jace, Draco hesitated before leaving the shop with his father. Jace warned her to stay away from Draco and his friends at Hogwarts, describing the Malfoys as an elitist pureblood family. Mr. Malfoy was allegedly one of Voldemort's top death eaters, avoiding persecution by claiming to be under the imperius curse. Considering Jace's father aided in the arrest of the death eaters during the first war and their opposing views, there was a hidden animosity between the families.</p><p>"That snotty son is rotten too," argued Jace. "He's learned from his father how to put on a mask around people. I know you didn't know but you need to watch who you talk to, Katrina. People might seem nice but you don't know their true intentions and I guarantee that these death eaters are going to use their kids to spy on you and Harry."</p><p>"I—I know," she said, quietly.</p><p>"I got your defense book for you and something else." Moving his hand from behind his back, he showed her an enchanted sketchpad. "I thought you might like a new one. It'll take your mind off things…or people…"</p><p>"What does that mean?" she asked, flipping through it in interest.</p><p>"Kane had a lengthy conversation with Dumbledore about how the Order members aren't too good in combat and he wants the best of his task force there to show them a few tricks." Jace rubbed the back of his neck. "Me, my dad, Elizabeth, Isabel, Dimitri, Lukas…"</p><p>Katrina waited for him to say it was a terrible joke. "W—why Lukas?"</p><p>"Like him or not, he is talented. A complete scumbag but talented," lamented Jace. "He'll play nice around Kane. If anyone can reign in his horrible tendencies, it's his uncle. It's one night and then you're off to Hogwarts where you'll hopefully never have to see him again."</p><p>Catching up with Mrs. Weasley, they finished their shopping around Diagon Alley, thankfully avoiding another confrontation with the Malfoys, and returned to an unusually quiet Grimmauld Place. Everyone, including Remus, Bill, Tonks, another auror named Kingsley Shacklebolt, and a former auror named Alastor Moody who was commonly referred to as Mad-Eye Moody, was in the room where she and Kane had their late night training sessions. A disgruntled Sirius stood next to Harry, the Weasley children, and Hermione, mimicking Kane as he spoke with Moody.</p><p>Jace joined his father and the other task force members, in the midst of their own conversation. Katrina secretly scanned the room, wondering if she could sneak away without alerting anyone to her absence.</p><p>"Hi Kitty Cat," a deep voice said in her ear.</p><p>A chill ran down her spine at a hand trailing the bottom of her skirt. Without even looking, she knew it belonged to Kane's nephew, Lukas. Katrina would prefer an eternity of confinement to being within a foot of the vulgar boy, in sharp contrast to his respectable uncle, whose favorite hobby was pestering Katrina with lecherous stares and comments. He never dared to be so brash in front of Kane, devising ways to get alone time with her.</p><p>"Don't call me that," she whispered, refusing to look at him.</p><p>"Been dreaming about me lately?" He twisted one of her curls around his finger. "You've definitely kept me up lots of nights. Don't you want some experience before you go to your new school?"</p><p>Kane inadvertently rescued her by beginning the session. A repulsed Katrina wandered over to Harry, feeling Lukas's eyes on her body. The plan was for the task force to show their usual drills then to practice with the Order members.</p><p>"Is he always this…what's a nice way of saying crazy?" muttered Ron, listening to Kane bark orders.</p><p>Hermione smacked his arm with the back of her hand. "He's a gifted auror, Ron. In all the books detailing the war with you know who, he's constantly mentioned for his skill in battle."</p><p>"Doesn't mean he's not a nutter," he countered.</p><p>"How was Diagon Alley?" Harry asked Katrina. "Any run-ins with reporters?"</p><p>"No," she said, choosing not to mention the encounter with the Malfoys.</p><p>Katrina was used to the arduous training sessions, taking part or secretly watching them from her hiding spot. Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys seemed taken aback by the fast-paced dueling, not typically taught in a school. Ginny had mentioned a club in her first year but it was an utter failure, taught by the incompetent Gilderoy Lockhart. While they failed to keep up without losing track, Katrina was able to follow each movement, no matter how small. They showed an interest in their mixed styles, incorporating hand-to-hand along with their spell casting.</p><p>"Be honest, Carlisle," said Sirius, as Kane eyed his team beside Katrina. "You wanted to show off your star pupils. We don't need any tips. We can handle ourselves fine in a duel."</p><p>"I've seen you duel, Black. With your lack of focus, you'd be dead in minutes against a competent wizard. You haven't changed since the old days. You should set a better example. If you don't want to improve, perhaps the young ones want to have a go," he said, his arms crossed over his chest. "Your godson needs a lesson. The way he fights, he'd lose to a squib."</p><p>His comment caused the Order members and teenagers to glance away from the ongoing drills. "I can duel. I fought against Voldemort," said Harry, clenching his fists.</p><p>Kane kept his eyes forward, a smirk tracing his lips. "Yes, we heard about your impressive disarming charm, a basic defense capable of being cast by a toddler. You were saved by your twin cores, boy. It was luck, not skill."</p><p>Both Sirius and Harry were fuming, steam emerging from their ears. Glaring at Kane, Harry looked to Katrina to defend him but she kept quiet, knowing her blunt guardian made a rude but valid point. His anger persisted through Kane's impromptu training session, the Order members holding their own for most of their duels, and the party Mrs. Weasley arranged to celebrate Ron and Hermione becoming prefects. During dinner, she sat between Hermione and Ginny, discussing Hogwarts and the lifestyle in the United States.</p><p>Ginny giggled into her butterbeer. "He can't keep his eyes off you, Katrina," she whispered. "He's really cute."</p><p>Clearly referring to Lukas, who was seated directly across from Katrina, she feigned a weak smile. A restless Purrsephone provided her with a good reason to leave the basement for a few minutes of peace. On the way to her room, she felt a familiar tingling in her hand and peeked into the drawing room they had spent days cleaning, all of the garbage tossed into a burlap sack. Katrina opened the sack, taking out the silver box she had first seen in the glass cabinet. A warmth spread through her palm as her thumb brushed over the runic inscriptions.</p><p>"Is someone being naughty?" The box was snatched from her hand, Lukas dangling it in the air. "Are you looking for a fix, Kitty Cat?"</p><p>"N—no," she said, trying to stay calm. "Leave me alone."</p><p>An invisible barrier formed in the doorway. Before she could reverse the spell, Lukas pinned her back against the wall.</p><p>"You don't have to lie to me. My uncle wants to restrict you but what's so wrong with it? I have a much better method." He licked his lips, his fingers digging into her waist. "I won't tell. I know you want to…"</p><p>"Lukas—" she started.</p><p>The door burst open and Lukas was knocked back by a jet of silver light, Jace pointing his wand between his pale blue eyes. Threatening to out his unwanted advances to Kane, he snarled when Lukas merely smirked, blowing a kiss to a trembling Katrina before leaving the room. Jace accompanied her to her room, in case Lukas was hoping for a round two.</p><p>"Did you take your potion?" he asked, noting her shaking hand.</p><p>"Yes, before dinner." He sat beside her on the bed. "I could feel the magic from this box without touching it. It's never happened like that. What if the potion's not working anymore?"</p><p>"It could be your magic adjusting to your new surroundings," he suggested. "If it happens again, we'll go to Kane."</p><p>Katrina spent the rest of the night in her room with Jace, playing with Purrsephone and concealing the faint pain in her fingertips.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Aboard the Hogwarts Express</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I'm not nervous."</p><p>Brushing her hair, Katrina recited that phrase to herself. "Are you trying to convince yourself or the mirror?"</p><p>A sympathetic Harry was leaning on the door frame with his trunk, a leather-covered book tucked under his arm. Crossing the room, she placed the brush in her suitcase, trying to mask her nerves. On the outside, she maintained a brave face but on the inside, a thousand invisible butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. Attending Hogwarts had been on the list of things she hoped to experience, even for a single day, in her life, wanting the escape from the walls of Kane's manor and to reunite with her brother. Though it was at the top of her list, hoping to attend the esteemed wizarding school and getting the chance were wildly different things.</p><p>Katrina feared that she would crumble under the pressure of being surrounded by hundreds of students on a daily basis. As much as she had warmed up to Harry and the others residing in Grimmauld Place, it was growing at a snail's pace, nowhere the level of comfort she felt around someone like Jace, which had taken several years. On top of her general anxiety of meeting complete strangers, she had the added responsibility of ensuring no one noted discrepancies in the kidnapping tale given to the Ministry. Telling her story in an enclosed space to a few strangers was not the same as being bombarded with questions by her peers at a random moment.</p><p>"It's all right to admit it. It's a big change," he said, sitting on her bed. "I won't lie that everyone at Hogwarts is going to be nice but you're not alone. If anyone bothers you, they'll deal with me and if they've been reading the <em>Daily Prophet</em> all summer, they won't want to mess with a deluded madman. I wanted to give you this."</p><p>Harry handed her the book, a photo album compiled by Hagrid at the end of his first year. It contained photographs of her parents throughout their years at Hogwarts and after, some taken months before their deaths. A pang of regret passed through Katrina at the photographs of her parents with an infant Harry. Part of her wished that they could have known the truth, even if it still meant leaving her with Kane. What would her life have been like if her parents were part of it for a short time?</p><p>"Sometimes, when I find myself thinking about them, I like to flip through this." Harry looked at their smiling parents sitting by a fountain. "I want you to have it so if you're ever feeling down and I can't help, maybe this will cheer you up."</p><p>The tender moment was ruined by the howling of Mrs. Black's portrait. Picking up her suitcase and cat carrier, she followed Harry out the door, listening to the screeches about blood traitors and 'creatures of dirt'. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Kane, and Remus were standing in the hall, surrounded by trunks, cages, and carriers, tuning out the portrait's rage. An exasperated Mrs. Weasley, healing a scrape on Ginny's elbow, instructed them to leave their luggage, Moody bringing them to the train station. Instead of traveling to the station together, they would travel in staggered groups, Katrina going with Fred, George, Ginny, and Lupin.</p><p>Catching a minute twitch of Kane's pinky, Katrina shuffled over to him by a portrait of a stately medieval man. His broad shoulders shielding most of her from view, he gave her a two-way mirror, a common method of communication among his task force. He never trusted owls or the floo network, believing both methods were susceptible to interception by enemies. Pretending to brush dust from his sleeve, he ordered her to message him daily at Hogwarts and if either of them did not respond, the other would assume the worst, meeting up at their secret spot.</p><p>"You'll keep up with your training," he muttered. "I don't want to see you slacking because of your hotheaded brother or other nonsense. Don't go tipping your wand too easily. You present yourself as meek and mild to those children but don't let them push you around. Keep your eyes open and if there's any trouble, you'll contact me and go straight to Dumbledore. What do I always tell you?"</p><p>"No hesitations, no distractions," she whispered, slipping the mirror into her coat pocket.</p><p>Mrs. Weasley shouted herself hoarse for Hermione and the rest of the Weasley children to meet them downstairs. A bearlike black dog, Sirius's animagus form, appeared next to Harry's leg, despite Mrs. Weasley's frustrated insistence for him to not leave the house. Wagging his tail, he scampered over to Katrina, who could not hide her amusement. Harry was the first to leave with Mrs. Weasley and after five minutes, Katrina headed out of the house with Remus. During the walk to the train station, Sirius chasing pigeons up ahead, Ginny fought off her brothers' attempts to sample their joke products while Katrina and Remus discussed Hogwarts.</p><p>"If Professor Snape's report is any indication, you'll do well in your lessons," he said, watching Tonks, disguised as an elderly woman, trip over a crack in the sidewalk. "He rarely gives out praise so that certainly means something. Students in the same year aren't at the same level. You'll find that some are a bit more advanced while others struggle so don't get discouraged if you don't get it right on the first try. You're welcome to write to me anytime, Katrina."</p><p>Winding through the crowd of muggles at King's Cross, keeping her hands in her coat to avoid accidental touching, she was confused when Remus stopped at a brick pillar, a plastic nine and ten hanging over either side. She swallowed hard, hearing him explain that it was a barrier to the Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. The fact that it was constructed with magic gave her considerable pause, the drawing room incident fresh in her mind. What if she lost control of her abilities and absorbed its magic, attracting the attention of muggles?</p><p>"I'll be right beside you," assured Remus, as Fred, George, and Ginny vanished through the barrier. "Do as I do."</p><p>Mimicking him, she rested against the pillar and the next second, she fell through, ending up in a completely new train station, a scarlet red engine on the tracks. Her hands trembled in her pockets but thankfully, there was no tingling or warm sensation. The others were emptying Moody's luggage cart, Harry taking her suitcase out with his, and exchanged hugs and handshakes with the adults. Katrina stood alone, unable to join in with the heartfelt goodbyes.</p><p>Feeling a soft nip on her sleeve, she looked down at Sirius, his head brushing up against her coat. She appreciated the gesture, returning it by gently tapping his head with the back of her sleeve. The other adults found their own ways of saying goodbye to her at a distance, Tonks giving her an air high-five and Mrs. Weasley using the excuse of getting the hair out of her eyes. Like Kane, Moody warned her to keep her guard up though he was not opposed to her using her siphon abilities on a shifty student.</p><p>At the sound of a whistle, they climbed onto the train and waved at the Order members from the open window. The train began to move, a joyful Sirius bounding alongside it, and as it rounded the corner, he and the people on the platform turned into nothing more than blurs.</p><p>"Well," said Fred, clapping his hands together. "Can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you later."</p><p>"You will remain in our thoughts, m'lady," George told Katrina. "If you wish to engage with those more of your caliber instead of these children, we will not be far."</p><p>The twins bowed towards her ("Idiots," mumbled Ginny), lifting their heads at Harry's grumble of disapproval. Staring at their backs retreating further down the corridor, her brother suggested finding a compartment, his mood souring at Hermione's mention of a prefect meeting.</p><p>"Katrina, would you like to come with us?" she asked, avoiding the arisen awkward tension. "It may be good for you to meet the other prefects."</p><p>She shook her head. "I'm sure I'll meet them another time."</p><p>Walking in opposite directions, Ginny led her and Harry down the corridor, searching for an empty compartment. Peering through the glass-paneled windows, they discovered that many of the compartments were full or occupied by people they despised, presumably Slytherins. The people inside stared back at her brother with interest and when they were spooked or wanted to direct their attention somewhere else, their eyes fell on Katrina, igniting a whole new set of questions. Whispers about her, or 'the dead Potter' as she was affectionately titled, followed her as they continued their search, Ginny encouraging her to ignore the gossip.</p><p>In the last carriage, she and Harry greeted a round-faced boy, his trunk in one hand and a struggling toad in the other. "Neville's with us in Gryffindor," said Ginny, smiling. "Neville, this is Katrina."</p><p>He looked at her like she sprouted wings. "S—sorry. I shouldn't—it's nice to know you're not—it's nice to meet you."</p><p>Ginny glanced over his shoulder. "There's room in this one. There's only Loony Lovegood in here…"</p><p>Stepping past a shy Neville, she slid the door open, revealing a girl with straggly, waist-length dirty blonde hair. Though Ginny called her Luna, Katrina assumed the 'Loony' nickname was due to her eccentric aura, exemplified by her necklace of butterbeer caps and the fact she was reading her issue of <em>The Quibbler </em>upside down. With Harry's help, she stowed her suitcase and carrier in the luggage rack, releasing Purrsephone from the the carrier. Luna stared at Harry as they sat opposite her, Katrina sitting near the window with her sketchpad on her lap.</p><p>Ginny introduced Luna, who was a fourth year Ravenclaw, to them. "You're Katrina Potter."</p><p>"That's me," she replied, kindly, never one to judge someone based on the opinions of others.</p><p>Harry did not share that view, clearly thinking that she was odd. "My father never believed the rumors. He said you know who employed fairies to switch you out of your crib," said Luna, dreamily. "They're well-known for those sorts of tricks. Hundreds of children around the world suffer a similar fate."</p><p>"I don't know if that's true," said Katrina, never hearing that theory. "I like your necklace."</p><p>"I could make you one," she offered. "It keeps the nargles away."</p><p>During the train ride, Katrina drew in her sketchpad, gazing out the window at the beautiful scenery of the open countryside. Purrsephone curled up in her lap, playing with a ball of pink yarn. Luna returned to her magazine while Harry, Ginny, and Neville conversed amongst themselves, Neville showing off a birthday present from his great-uncle. It was a Mimbulus Mimbletonia, a small gray cactus covered in boils. Katrina had seen one before, Kane experimenting with the stinksap it secreted for defensive purposes.</p><p>Neville excitedly dump his toad in Harry's lap. Seeing him prod the plant with the tip of his quill, Katrina quickly cast a shield charm and raised her sketchpad, just as liquid squirted from its boils. The entire compartment, including the top of Ginny's head, Luna's magazine, and most of Harry and Neville's faces, was dripping with thick, slimy, dark-green stinksap. As Neville apologized for the mess, the door slid open, a pretty girl with long, shiny black hair standing out in the corridor. A short, awkward chat occurred between her and an embarrassed Harry. The moment she left, Ginny cleaned the compartment with a scouring charm.</p><p>"Was she another friend?" asked Katrina, handing him a handkerchief to wipe away the remaining stinksap.</p><p>His cheeks reddened under the handkerchief. "She's um—we're fr—not friend friends. I mean, we've talked but not—we're not that close. That's um Cho Chang. She's a year above us and the Ravenclaw seeker. She's pretty—pretty good…at quidditch and stuff…"</p><p>Katrina had her own theories but kept them to herself. An hour later, a large pile of sweets was nestled between her and Harry, courtesy of the food trolley, and he, Neville, and Ginny were swapping chocolate frog cards. Harry attempted to get Katrina interested, showing off his collection. He heavily reminded her of Jace, who, when he was thirteen, made it his mission to find every single card, leading to him being cut off from his allowance for a couple weeks. Her nose buried in her sketchpad, she nibbled on a cauldron cake.</p><p>Hermione and Ron returned from their meeting, an exhausted Ron collapsing beside Harry. His eyes shut, he blindly grabbed a chocolate frog from the pile and bit off its head. Slightly disgruntled, Hermione sat in the empty space beside Ginny, telling them about the prefects in other houses. Hearing that Hannah was chosen as a Hufflepuff prefect, Katrina perked up, partly wishing she had worked up the courage to attend the meeting to see Jace's cousin.</p><p>She hid behind her sketchpad as the conversation shifted to the Slytherin prefects, Pansy Parkinson, who was 'thicker than a concussed troll' according to Hermione, and Draco Malfoy. After the fraught exchange between Jace and the Malfoys, she decided not to bring it up to Harry, well aware of the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry. She assumed that Draco was one of the bullies at Hogwarts he had warned her about the night of her sorting, implying that Slytherins were all equally foul and nasty towards those deemed inferior. Jace had already chewed her ear off on the topic, due to their parents' believed association with Voldemort.</p><p>In discussing their duties as prefect, Ron found one upside to his new role: giving out punishments to misbehaving students. Katrina was the only one not to laugh at his impersonation of one of Draco's friends writing lines, Luna's loud laughter startling Purrsephone and Crookshanks. Amidst Ron looking to the others for an explanation, Harry picked up her fallen magazine, flipping to a specific article. Luna immediately stopped as Hermione chided the magazine as rubbish, informing her that her father was the editor and snatching it from Harry.</p><p>"You're really good, Katrina," said Ginny, hurriedly changing the subject. She indicated her finished drawing in her sketchpad. "Dean Thomas draws too. He's another Gryffindor. You could help him with the banners for the quidditch matches."</p><p>The door slid open for a third time. Draco was in the doorway, flanked by two large boys who resembled bodyguards.</p><p>"What?" snapped Harry.</p><p>His aggressive tone suggested their feud was personal, beyond a typical house rivalry. Everyone else in the compartment, besides a pensive Luna, looked at him and his friends with blatant loathing.</p><p>"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you detention," drawled Draco, smirking. "You see I, unlike you, have been made a prefect which means I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."</p><p>"Yeah," said Harry, on the edge of hexing him. "But you, unlike me, are a git so get out and leave us alone."</p><p>Draco's lip curled at their laughter. "Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?"</p><p>"Shut up, Malfoy," said Hermione, sharply.</p><p>"I seem to have touched a nerve." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be <em>dogging</em> your footsteps in case you step out of line."</p><p>As Hermione rose from her seat ("Get out!"), he spotted Katrina by the window. His smirk faltered but instead of continuing his taunts, he departed, Hermione slamming the door behind him.</p><p>"Foul git," muttered Ron, opening another chocolate frog.</p><p>Harry turned towards Katrina. "Stay away from Malfoy. If he insults you, you tell me right away and I'll hex him until he's a pile of goo. I don't care if it lands me in detention until graduation."</p><p>"Why is he so mean to you?" she asked, shocked by the open hostility.</p><p>"He's a dirty, rotten snake," said Ron, as if it settled the matter. "The whole lot of them in Slytherin are like him. He's been a thorn in our sides since first year. Shame he hasn't fallen off the Astronomy Tower yet."</p><p>Checking the time on Harry's watch, she picked up her bag. "Can you watch Purrsephone for me?" The small kitten pounced on a leaping chocolate frog on the floor. "I need to wash my hands so I'll change in there."</p><p>"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked, his mouth full of pumpkin pasty.</p><p>"I think I can manage by myself," she said, opening the door.</p><p>Katrina walked along the corridor and shut herself in the bathroom. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a vial of golden powder, the same she had ingested in Grimmauld Place with her meals. She poured the powder into bottled water, swirling it around, then took a swig of the mixture, gagging at its bitterness. Like always, her palms emitted a reddish glow but to her confusion, the glow did not fade, spreading to her fingertips.</p><p>"I've got this," she whispered to herself. "I'm in control. I've got this."</p><p>As her hands returned to normal, she stowed the vial into her bag and changed into her uniform, checking that her gloves did not show too much exposed skin. Katrina gave herself another pep talk in the mirror. The train slowed down and outside the door, she heard the commotion of people moving around their compartments.</p><p>Katrina took a deep breath before stepping out of the bathroom. The last thing she expected was to nearly bump into someone, least of all Draco Malfoy. He had been lazily ordering people in the corridor back to their compartments, threatening to give a group of boys, no older than twelve, detention. Turning his head, his expression of sheer boredom fell into one of intrigue, his eyes passing over her and lingering unnecessarily long on her red and gold tie and the Gryffindor emblem on her robes.</p><p>"Surprised your brother wasn't guarding the door. He let you out on your own?" He raised a brow at her silence. "If you wanted to get away from those insufferable sods, I don't blame you. I'd rather sleep next to a troll than listen to Potter go on with his holier than thou attitude."</p><p>Unwilling to engage in his taunts, she started to walk past him, blocked by his arm stretching across the corridor. "Can you move, please?"</p><p>"Aren't you polite?" He kept his arm firmly in place. "Hogwarts is a big place. If you like, I could be your guide. Those gossiping vultures will swarm you the second you're alone and I'm a good friend to have, Katrina."</p><p>"You don't seem very friendly to me," she countered.</p><p>"Then maybe we should get to know each other better," he said, innocently. "I did help you find your cat so I can't be all bad, can I?"</p><p>"Malfoy!" A dark-haired boy stormed down the corridor, a <em>Head Boy</em> badge pinned to his robes above the Ravenclaw emblem. "You're supposed to be with Ernie at the front of the train. Can you at least pretend that you give a damn about being a prefect?"</p><p>Draco scowled. "Get your wand out of a knot, Davies. Macmillan's a big boy. He can handle the brats by himself. We're a little busy here."</p><p>"Get a move on or I'll be bringing you to Dumbledore," said Davies, glaring.</p><p>The blonde Slytherin sized up the older boy, choosing to sneer and walk away, purposely bumping against his shoulder. Rolling his eyes, the boy looked over at Katrina, who was wishing to blend into the wall. She did not need to be reprimanded, before even leaving the train, for someone else's actions. Not recognizing her, he smiled and introduced himself as Roger Davies. When she felt a warmth in her cheeks, she wondered if her siphon abilities were acting up.</p><p>"I—I'm Katrina," she replied.</p><p>His eyes widened at her name. "Oh, you're Harry's sister. That explains why Malfoy was giving you trouble. He likes to act like he's a big shot but he's all talk. I doubt he's doing what I asked so he's probably gathering his friends to bolster his numbers. Let me take you back to your compartment."</p><p>As she walked with Roger, keeping her eyes on the carpeted floor, the train halted to an abrupt stop. On both sides, of the corridor, people were removing their trunks from the luggage racks. In her compartment, she saw Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Luna gathering their belongings.</p><p>"I have to gather up the first years," said Roger, observing the younger students hurrying down the corridor. "Any questions you have, you can always ask me and don't let people like Malfoy get to you. With what you've been through, I bet this all might be scary but believe me, you'll make a lot of friends. I'll see you in the castle, Katrina."</p><p>Entering the compartment, she was given her suitcase and Purrsephone's cat carrier by Ginny. Hermione and Ron had left to supervise the students exiting the train with the other prefects. They joined the growing crowd in the corridors and stepped out onto the platform, horseless stagecoaches lining the dirt path. Harry was eyeing a woman calling out to the first years, a lantern in her hand.</p><p>In the massive crowd, the first years surrounding the woman and the other students heading to the carriages, they reunited with Ron and Hermione. Nearby, Draco, the two hulking boys he had been with before, and a girl with pin-straight ebony hair were shoving younger students, to secure a carriage for themselves. A few carriages down, Roger, who was with a group of his friends, waved at Katrina. Switching the cat carrier to her other hand, she shyly waved back but upon catching Draco's eye, she froze and climbed into a carriage with Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Neville. Harry was whispering to Luna, staring intently at the empty space between carriages.</p><p>"Harry?" asked Katrina, as Luna sat beside Neville.</p><p>Harry shook his head. "Sorry. I thought—I'm uh coming."</p><p>Ginny questioned the presence of the woman guiding the first years, pointing out that it was usually Hagrid's job. Hagrid was the groundskeeper and taught Care of Magical Creatures. Despite being half giant, Harry had assured Katrina that he would never hurt a fly, though he would benefit from baking tips. That admiration was not universal, Luna openly saying that the Ravenclaws considered him to be a substandard teacher. Halfway up the winding path, an enormous castle came into view. The drawings that Katrina had seen in her books did not do it justice, unable to capture its towering beauty. Seeing it in person made everything all the more real for Katrina, who never imagined she would be able to attend the school.</p><p>As the carriage jingled to a stop at the front of the castle, they jumped down one at a time, Harry once again lost in a daydream. Following Hermione through the giant oak doors, Katrina became distracted herself, stunned by the breathtaking sight of the entrance hall and the even more impressive Great Hall. Thousands of candles floated above four long tables, glittering with golden plates and goblets, ghosts hovered by the walls, and above their heads, the ceiling reflected the night sky. At the front of the Hall was another table where the professors were seated, Dumbledore in the middle.</p><p>Poked in the back by Harry, Katrina ambled over to one of the tables, mesmerized by the enchanted ceiling, sitting beside him. Her peaceful thoughts were cut by the carrying whispers from the tables.</p><p>"That's definitely her."</p><p>"Pity she's related to Potter."</p><p>"Wonder if she's mental too."<br/>"She looks like she was raised in a barn."</p><p>"She looks normal."</p><p>"I don't want to sit by him. Come on, we can switch with the Creevey brothers."</p><p>Two girls sat across from her and Harry, looking like complete opposites. The tall blonde to her right resembled an overexcited puppy while the other girl, her chestnut brown hair styled in a layered bob, appeared to be mentally wishing to be anywhere else at the moment, focusing on her plate.</p><p>"Hi guys!" said the blonde, cheerfully. Harry's thin smile suggested they were not close friends. "Ooh, is this your secret sister, Harry? Sorry, not secret. Everyone…well, not everyone because why would people in the muggle world know about her? Hi…I'm…Sophie…"</p><p>Her speech was stilted, the girl possibly thinking Katrina did not know basic English. "Hello," said Katrina, throwing at an uncertain glance at her brother.</p><p>"Wow, you can talk," she said, amazed. Harry glared at her. "Oh, I didn't mean—people on the train were wondering if you could…since, you know—I'm sorry if that sounded offensive. I'm glad you're not dead. I was telling Fay—this is Fay. I was telling her that living like that must've been crazy. It's a good thing that auror found you."</p><p>"I think you should stop talking, Roper," hissed Harry.</p><p>"Agreed," mumbled Fay, more to save her friend from an uncomfortable situation than out of respect to him or Katrina.</p><p>Professor McGonagall, the rigid Transfiguration professor Katrina had met a couple times at Grimmauld Place during her lessons with Snape, entered the Great Hall, with a stool and the sorting hat, a line of terrified first years trailing behind her. As she placed the hat on the stool, its brim opened wide and it burst into a song about the founders of Hogwarts and unity. Katrina could not help smiling at Sophie, who was bouncing in her seat to the tune.</p><p>"That's Nearly Headless Nick but he prefers Sir Nicholas," Harry whispered to Katrina, pointing to a medieval ghost speaking to Hermione about the sorting hat's previous warnings through song.</p><p>One by the one, the first years were sorted, some announced the second the hat touched their heads and others waiting several minutes. When they were sorted into their new house, the corresponding table erupted in cheers and applause. As she clapped for a petite girl stumbling over to the Gryffindor table, she noticed Fay subtly eyeing her, one of many students who were far more interested in her than the sorting. Once the ceremony ended, McGonagall marched away with the stool and hat and Dumbledore rose to his feet.</p><p>"To our newcomers, welcome!" he said, in a ringing voice. "To our old hands—welcome back! There is a time for speech making but this is not it. Tuck in!"</p><p>A vast feast appeared across the four tables, from stews to lamb chops. Ron piled a mountain high stack of food onto his plate, shoveling a majority of it into his mouth. Reaching for a bowl of steamed carrots, Katrina overheard an argument between him, Hermione, and Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost offended by Ron suggesting he was afraid of the another ghost in the castle and an insensitive comment about his lack of blood. The affronted ghost, his head teetering on his severed neck, floated to the other end of the table.</p><p>"Nice one. You couldn't last a minute without putting your foot in the mouth," said Fay, pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice. "That must be a new record."</p><p>He made a mocking face at the brunette. "Be nice," chided Sophie. "So Katrina, are you excited to be at Hogwarts? It's huge, isn't it? I've been here five years and I still get lost sometimes. Your gloves are so cute, by the way. Where'd you get them?"</p><p>"Um a shop in Wichita," she said, remembering Jace's story to the aurors. "I—it's where he found me. He got me clothes before bringing me to the Ministry. It's what teenage girls wear in America."</p><p>"Weren't you in a muggle neighborhood?" asked Fay. "No one around for miles. It's why they didn't find you until now, right?"</p><p>"Helping your father with an article, Dunbar?" growled Harry. The brunette pursed her lips. "I'd appreciate if you didn't interrogate my sister."</p><p>The rest of the feast was done in silence, Harry and Fay throwing each other dirty looks between bites of their food. Katrina secretly preferred it to being roped into a conversation with Sophie, appreciating that she showed no signs of treating her differently but unprepared for someone with such a bubbly personality. The silence was broken by Dumbledore addressing the students about general rules, like the aptly named Forbidden Forest being off limits to students, magic being prohibited in the corridors, and the caretaker Mr. Filch's list of banned items.</p><p>Referring to the new professors joining the staff, Harry, Ron, and Hermione did not join in with the applause for Professor Grubbly-Plank, more concerned with Hagrid's absence. Katrina recognized Professor Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, from her her visit to the British Ministry. She was the toad-faced woman who had accompanied Fudge in his interrogation of her, never saying a word but still unsettling with how she observed Katrina like she was a duplicitous spy. Her fluffy pink cardigan gave her the appearance of a puffed up fwooper.</p><p>"Hem hem."</p><p>Dumbledore's speech on quidditch try outs was cut off by the tiny cough. Umbridge stood up, Dumbledore sitting down to allow her to make her own speech. The professors reacted less favorably, McGonagall's mouth a straight line and another professor's eyebrows disappearing into her flyaway hair. Throughout her lengthy speech, most of the students were barely listening, having side conversations or zoning out with glassy-eyed expressions. Her high-pitched, overly girlish tone slowly became more firm and business-like, fitting with her words of guarding magical knowledge and sticking to traditions. On the surface, it sounded like gibberish but Katrina suspected that the Ministry wanted to interfere at Hogwarts, molding its practices to their standards.</p><p>The professors were getting increasingly agitated with each sentence. Snape showed no visible irritation, his expression blank, but as he spotted Katrina, she thought there was a minute change, a softness. Quickly turning her head, her eyes fell on the Slytherin table where that ebony-haired girl curled her fingers around Draco's arm and whispered in his ear. The sound of clapping caught Katrina's attention, Umbridge finished with her speech. Dumbledore finished his notices then dismissed them to their common rooms.</p><p>Hermione jumped up, straightening her robes. "Ron, we're supposed to show the first years where to go!"</p><p>"Oh yeah," he said, vaguely. "Hey—hey you lot! Midgets!"</p><p>Harry hid his snort of laughter in his sleeve. "What are you staring at, Malfoy?" asked Fay loudly, as Hermione reprimanded Ron.</p><p>Draco looked momentarily flustered, hiding it with a sneer. "Nothing much, Dunbar. I'd rather gouge out my eyes than look at you for one second."</p><p>The girl beside him giggled at his retort. "Don't fight with him on the first night," Sophie pleaded to her friend. "He's not worth it. He's jus—hi Roger."</p><p>Katrina was surprised to see Roger behind her. "Hey. Sara, right?" Sophie nodded, lightly smacking Fay's arm. "Katrina, I thought you might want a tour of the castle. It's good to know your way around this place. Don't want you getting lost on your first day and seeing as I'm Head Boy, it wouldn't be responsible of me to not make sure you knew everything there is to know."</p><p>Her eyes darted from her disapproving brother, likely imagining Roger's head on fire, to the smitten Sophie and then the friendly Ravenclaw. "O—okay." Harry's face remained the same. "I'll see you in the common room."</p><p>Roger led her out of the Great Hall and down the left corridor. When his hand almost brushed against her robes, she stiffened, wrapping her sleeves over her hands.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Katrina," he said, her unease written all over her face. "I should've—I can imagine it's hard being around all these strangers, given your situation. I uh read it in the <em>Daily Prophet</em>. Anyone who went through that would have trouble with being close to someone. It must've been awful but I think it's really brave of you."</p><p>"Brave?" she asked, confused.</p><p>"Coming to Hogwarts, with everything going on with your brother and what's been written about you too…it's good that you're not letting it affect you," he explained. "My mother said you'd been holed up in some safe house for months but instead, you're here. You're just being normal."</p><p>"I don't feel normal," she confessed.</p><p>Grinning, he opened a side door. "It's part of being a teenager. Besides, you look pretty normal to me."</p><p>Roger had not been joking about giving her a tour. The castle was somehow bigger than she expected, all sorts of rooms and chambers hidden behind secret doors and portraits. He warned her about the trick steps, ones that randomly vanished or turned slippery, and the doors that concealed a bare wall or sent students through a confusing maze that ended in the same spot. As he showed her around the castle, going floor by floor and providing her tips on shortcuts, they got to know each other. Roger had much more to say, not being locked in a house for fifteen years, and never pushed her too far, happy to fill an uncomfortable silence with talk about quidditch.</p><p>"I could teach you how to fly," he offered, as they passed the quidditch pitch. "Better than having to learn with the first years."</p><p>"Maybe," she said, knowing it was a terrible idea. "What's in here?"</p><p>Katrina peered into an empty room. It was filled with exercise equipment, reminding her of a lesser version of the training room in Kane's manor. If he saw the room, he would dismiss it as a 'kiddie area'. According to Roger, it was mainly for the quidditch teams to keep fit throughout the school year but other students would use it as well for their personal fitness.</p><p>"Is it just for boys?" she asked, thinking it was the perfect spot for her training sessions.</p><p>"Hey, girls can play quidditch too," he teased. "It's for anyone who wants to pop in but fair warning, the Slytherins can get a bit rowdy. Best to steer clear when they're around. You'll know when they're there because they like to lock the door to keep the rest of us out…at least until McGonagall comes around and lectures them. Let's get you to your common room before curfew."</p><p>Taking one last glance at the room, she walked up to the seventh floor and over to a portrait of the Fat Lady. "The password changes each week. If you don't know it, you can ask one of the Gryffindor prefects. Right now, it's Mimbulus Mimbletonia."</p><p>"Correct," said the Fat Lady, swinging open.</p><p>"Have a good night, Katrina," said Roger.</p><p>"Good night," she replied.</p><p>Climbing through the circular archway, she was relieved to find the common room empty. The room looked rather cozy, with squashy armchairs, rickety tables, and a crackling fireplace. Hermione greeted her at the bottom of a winding mahogany staircase, having just finished guiding the first years with a less than enthusiastic Ron. She brought her up to the girls' dormitories at the top of the staircase and for a second, Katrina hesitated at the sound of shouting from the boys' side. The rooms were separated by year, its size depending on the number of students. Hermione mentioned that McGonagall had added an additional room, if Katrina felt more comfortable being alone.</p><p>"I don't want to stand out more than I already am," she whispered.</p><p>"Well, if you ever need it, it's there," said Hermione, gently. "The girls in our year are quite nice. We have our differences, as you saw with Sophie and Fay, but we haven't had many quarrels in the past."</p><p>The other girls were busy decorating their personal spaces, Fay sticking posters of the Tutshill Tornados, the players soaring around the field, over her bed and Sophie put up her own posters of musicals and singers that Katrina assumed to be from the muggle world since the figures were completely static. On the other side of the room were two more girls, their interests closely aligned based on their shared decorations of fashion pictures from <em>Witch Weekly</em>.</p><p>Their chattering ceased as they noticed Katrina. "You've met Sophie and Fay. Katrina, this is Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Katrina is new, as I'm sure you can guess, and you've all probably read a snippet or two of <em>Daily Prophet</em> this summer so I hope you'll show her proper respect as she'll do with all of you. If I hear any improper questions asked of her, I will tell McGonagall."</p><p>"Relax, Hermione. We're not that horrible," said Sophie, nodding towards to Katrina's suitcase and Purrsephone's at the foot of the bed next to hers. "You're right here. Do you need help putting your stuff away?"</p><p>"Take it down a few notches, Sophie." Parvati moved from her bed with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Katrina. Your brother is the worst date I've had in my life but I won't hold that against you."</p><p>At the mention of her brother, Lavender shifted slightly, her back facing the door as she let down her curly blonde hair. "He's not very good around girls…or people, I've noticed," said Katrina, making Sophie and Parvati giggle.</p><p>"Do you believe him?" asked Lavender, directly. She shrugged at the warning look from Hermione. "What he's been saying about you know who, do you believe him? My parents say he's full of rubbish."</p><p>"I don't see why he'd lie," Katrina said, simply. "What does he get out of stirring up trouble?"</p><p>"Lavender, if you want to avoid McGonagall's office for the year, you'll keep your mouth shut about Harry and whatever is being reported in the <em>Daily Prophet</em>," said Hermione, her hands on her hips. "Katrina's been through enough and you don't need to give her any more stress."</p><p>Saying nothing, Lavender disappeared behind the hangings around her bed. As Katrina readied her bed, letting Purrsephone out of her carrier, her Charms book dropped to the floor. To her surprise, Fay picked it up, the only one not lying in her bed.</p><p>"Look, I don't have a problem with you. Your brother's always been a pain in the ass and my father's articles aren't exactly a mood booster," she whispered. "Just because he writes for the <em>Daily Prophet</em>, it doesn't mean I have to agree with him. Fudge could ask him to jump off a cliff and he'd do it in a heartbeat. Don't listen to Lavender. She was born with half a brain."</p><p>"It doesn't bother me," said Katrina, anticipating much worse.</p><p>"And it shouldn't. If I cared about what that ditz said to me, I wouldn't have finished my first year." Fay held out the book. "Let me impart some wisdom on you, newbie. Watch yourself around the Slytherins. Malfoy had his eye on you at dinner and that's never a good thing."</p><p>Her stomach twisted into knots. "I can handle myself."</p><p>"Yeah, I bet you're really dangerous," said Fay, holding back a laugh.</p><p>Putting away her things, Katrina laid down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling until she drifted off to sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. First Day Struggles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Katrina walked down the long, windowless corridor, the tip of her wand the sole source of light. A cacophony of whispers echoed around her, speaking too softly for her to discern a single voice but she was able to understand a few words. There was mention of 'the Potter children' , a 'valuable girl', and 'getting rid of a mutual threat'. At the end of the corridor was a plain black door and as she reached for the handle, her palms glowed bright red and a raging fire swirled around her, the voices getting louder. A strange hybrid creature formed in the flames that flickered across the door, inching closer to Katrina's hand.</em>
</p><p>The smell of smoke filling her nostrils, she sat up straight, her heart beating fast. Though she knew it was just a dream, it felt extremely vivid, like she had traveled to the actual corridor in the middle of the night. Raising her hand to wipe a bead of sweat from her forehead, she saw that it was glowing red and turned to her pillow, half of it burnt to a crisp and sporting a palm-sized hole that extended to the wooden floor. The same had happened to Sophie's posters on the wall above her bed but to her relief, the other Gryffindor girls had not been woken up by the strange smell, all in a deep sleep.</p><p>Picking up her wand from her nightstand, Katrina repaired the damage, expecting someone to catch her in the act. She stiffened at Sophie rolling onto her side, her scarlet blanket sliding to the floor in a twisted heap. Hermione's clock showed that it was five o'clock at the morning and Katrina decided to keep her promise to Kane, knowing that it was pointless to get back in the bed for a couple more hours of rest. Changing into a pair of workout leggings and a tank top, she stuffed her books into her bag and scribbled a quick note, lying that she wanted to explore the castle before breakfast.</p><p>Katrina crept down to the exercise room, careful to avoid Mr. Filch and his cat Mrs. Norris. Her gloves shifted into ones suitable for training and with her wand, she created a dummy that mimicked Kane's fighting style and 'no mercy' attitude. It was similar to the ones he used when their sessions were interrupted by a message from the task force or a sudden MACUSA meeting, usually with President Kowalski waiting for him in the living room. <em>Starting my training now</em> she wrote on the two-way mirror with her wand, the words fading into the glass.</p><p>"Okay, fake Kane, remember we have to be quiet," she said, picking up her sticks. "We're not alone anymore and I don't need a detention on the first day."</p><p>For two hours, she practiced her drills with the dummy, in both magical and non-magical combat. She admonished the enchanted dummy multiple times, fearing that too much noise would alert the cantankerous caretaker. Hearing a set of footsteps, she dodged a body-bind curse and vanished the dummy and her bag, before casting a disillusionment charm to blend into the stone walls. The door opened to raucous laughter, five boys entering the room. Seeing Draco among them, she assumed the other boys, all older and fairly muscular (one even rivaling Jace), were Slytherins.</p><p>"Don't make that face, Malfoy. We've been doing this for years," said a brunette boy with arms like tree trunks. "It's called getting a leg up on the competition. Davies, Johnson, and Cadwallader are all thinking the same but we're a step ahead."</p><p>Stifling a yawn, Draco scowled at him. "Well, Flint didn't start on the second day of term, did he? They don't have full teams yet. You've got Crabbe and Goyle as replacement beaters so we're already <em>ahead</em>, Montague."</p><p>"What, Pansy didn't wake up her wittle Drakie to watch the sunset together?" teased another boy, the tallest of the five. Draco glared at him through bleary eyes. "Or did she catch you staring at the pretty little kitty in Gryffindor?"<br/>Katrina froze on her way to the door, the boys oblivious to her presence. The boy was obviously referring to her, his choice of nickname reminding her of Lukas. She despised it, viewing it as a way to deem her meek and helpless when the truth was that, if she truly wanted, she could take down these sexist fools with a touch of her pinky. Draco did not laugh this time, shoving the boy.</p><p>"Sod off, Pucey," he snarled. "I wasn't staring."</p><p>"Hey, I don't blame you," said Pucey, holding his hands up defensively. "It might upset Pansy, which isn't that hard to do, but it's a win-win. Your father wanted you to get close to her, didn't he? So you get the intel on Potter and get to have some fun. She's not exactly a hag, is she? Besides, how hard would it be? The girl spent fifteen years alone in a dirty basement. She might welcome a good teacher..."</p><p>"I'll teach her a few things," said the red-headed boy beside him. "I don't like a girl that talks too much anyway."</p><p>Fed up with their vile comments, she sneaked out of the room while their backs were turned, all of their attention on Montague. Katrina considered that Draco's offer of friendship had an ulterior motive. Why would he be so interested in talking to the sister of his known enemy? If she accepted, he could hope to ask her about Harry or the Order, if his father knew of the organization. It was a ploy to benefit the side his family had chosen, one that valued bloody purity and enjoyed torturing muggles.</p><p>Up ahead, people in Ravenclaw robes passed the empty corridor, gossiping amongst themselves. More were descending down the grand marble staircase, heading to breakfast. Passing her wand over her outfit, Katrina changed into her uniform and conjured her bag. She blended into the crowd walking towards the Great Hall.</p><p>"Where have you been?"</p><p>The Ravenclaws in front of her were spooked by the sound of her brother's voice, budging together into a tighter group. Harry muttered something to a cross Hermione about the younger students, then turned towards Katrina. Ron made a rude hand gesture at a boy whispering about the twins.</p><p>"Why were you out by yourself?" hissed Harry. "You could've waited up for me. What if one of these morons who believe Fudge's lies decided to hex you as a joke?"</p><p>She adjusted the strap on her shoulder. "I woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep. I wanted to walk around outside. I'm used to having to be stuck in a house all day."</p><p>"And that's completely understandable," interjected Hermione, giving Harry a look that said 'I told you so'. "But Harry does have a point. For now, it may be better for you to be with someone trustworthy like us or Fred, George, Ginny…at least until everyone comes around to believing Harry or you get more comfortable in the castle."</p><p>"Is something wrong?" she asked Harry, anger emanating from him.</p><p>Looking like it pained him to relive, he explained that there was tension between him and another Gryffindor boy in their year, Seamus Finnigan. Like many others, his mother was a staunch supporter of Fudge and the <em>Daily Prophet</em>, unwilling to accept Harry and Dumbledore's 'stories'. Her belief was so deep that she pondered not allowing Seamus to return to Hogwarts. It had gotten worse when Seamus inquired about the encounter with Voldemort and Cedric's death, subjects that were deeply traumatizing to Harry, leading to the two boys shouting and Seamus darting out of the room at top speed as the rest of the boys rose from their beds.</p><p>Hermione had confessed to the equally awkward conversation with Lavender, who was as skeptical as Seamus. His anger ebbing slightly, he thanked Katrina for sticking up for him. Both he and Ron were not supportive of Hermione's encouraging message of inter-house unity. Sitting at the Gryffindor table, he glanced over to the teachers' table, as if expecting to see Hagrid in Grubbly-Plank's spot. Hermione surmised that Dumbledore was vague on how long she would be substituting for his classes, to not draw attention to the missing professor who was possibly still away on Order business.</p><p>A tall, dark-skinned girl, her hair in braids, marched up to Harry. "Hi Angelina," he said, passing Katrina the bowl of strawberries.</p><p>"Hi," she said, briskly. Her eyes fell on Katrina. "Your sister, I'm guessing. Katrina, isn't it? I'm Angelina Johnson, seventh year. I'm on the Gryffindor quidditch team with your brother. Actually, I've been made captain this year."</p><p>As Harry congratulated her, Angelina's mood became more serious. She planned for keeper try outs later in the week, wanting the whole team present to make the decision. Hearing her grumble about Roger and 'that dunderhead Cadwallader' swooping in for an earlier day and rumors of Slytherin booking the pitch after their tryouts, Katrina remembered Draco mentioning that Slytherin was the only house with a full team. She had never seen a quidditch match, her knowledge of the sport coming from animated conversations with Jace. Many nights were spent in Kane's manor where she joined him in cheering for a specific team while Kane and the task force had secret meetings.</p><p>Harry grabbed a plate of sausages. "Katrina, do you want to come to tryouts? I figured you've never seen a match and our dad was a chaser so it runs in our family. Maybe if we give you flying lessons between classes, you could try out for keeper. I bet you're a natural."</p><p>"Don't know about that," she said, pouring herself a cup of tea. "I've listened to games with Jace. He says the Fitchburg Finches are the best."</p><p>Ron made a garbled noise, his mouth full of toast. "Es goot ung fer brans." At a reproachful look from Hermione, he swallowed it. "He's got dung for brains. They've won the USA league loads of times but if they went up against the Chudley Cannons, no contest."</p><p>The name sounded familiar. "Didn't they finish last in the league this summer?"</p><p>"It was a bad season," he mumbled, his ears as red as his hair.</p><p>The table soon filled up with other Gryffindors, Lavender dragging Parvati to the furthest seat away from Harry by a boy with sandy hair. She made an exaggerated point of avoiding any eye contact with Katrina, likely upset from the previous night. Sophie and Fay sat across from Katrina, the blonde holding a pink clipboard.</p><p>"How was your walk, Katrina? Isn't it so beautiful in the morning?" she said, her upbeat personality not jelling well with her barely awake peers. "You should've woken me up. I could've shown you this spot by the lake that's amazing. It's like something out of a nature magazine. Do you want to sign my petition?"</p><p>Three names were scribbled at the top. "What's it for?"</p><p>"A very important cause." Harry quietly groaned into his goblet. "To convince Dumbledore to bring back plays."</p><p>Slathering strawberry jam on her toast, Sophie began a dramatic retelling of the history of plays at Hogwarts. Every Christmas and sometime in the spring, the students performed recreations of popular wizarding fairytales (muggle fairytales too, if it did not cause too much of a stir from the fanatical purebloods), under the direction of the professor in charge of artsy activities like the frog choir. In the 1960s, the performance of <em>The Fountain of Fair Fortune</em> ended disastrously due to many factors, including a massive fire created by ashwinder eggs and a bloody duel between actresses over the lead actor. After that catastrophe, the school board of governors banned the plays to prevent future incidents.</p><p>Sophie was a self-proclaimed drama nerd, participating in plays from a young age. When she arrived at Hogwarts, she hoped to continue her passion but was saddened to learn of the ban and while she joined the frog choir ("Technically, we hold toads but who cares?"), she campaigned each year to convince Dumbledore to speak to the Ministry about restarting the old tradition. Though he was not currently regarded in a favorable light, her hope was that he could get some of the governors on his side to call a vote.</p><p>"Just you wait. This is the year I'll finally wear Dumbledore down and yours truly will be up on a stage," she said, proudly. "What do you say, Katrina? If this works, maybe you could try out. Plays are so fun and who knows? You could be an award-winning actress in the making."</p><p>"I don't think she'd be into that," replied Harry.</p><p>"Oh, let me guess. Quidditch?" asked Fay, taking a bite of her bacon. "Is she going to stay tethered to you for the rest of her life? I didn't realize that because you're twins, you have to do the same thing. I'll go tell Parvati."</p><p>"I'll sign," said Katrina, to stem his resurfacing anger. "It does sound fun. It could take everyone's mind off of bad things."</p><p>Catching her hopeful expression, Harry sighed and grabbed the clipboard, signing it before passing it to Ron and Hermione. Sophie happily tucked the clipboard into her bag, just as owls soared through the upper windows to deliver letters and packages to their owners. Harry stabbed his sausage, displeased with Hermione getting the latest <em>Daily Prophet</em> from a damp barn owl. Katrina lightly smacked his hand with her spoon, overhearing him mutter a rude comment to Ron about Fay's father. Fay had undoubtedly heard the remark, threatening to give him another scar.</p><p>Their inevitable fight was halted by McGonagall moving along the table to hand out course schedules. Hermione and Fay's schedules differed from the others, taking Arithmancy instead of Divinations. Ron whined about their classes for the day, yearning for Fred and George's Skiving Snackboxes.</p><p>"Good morning, fair lioness," Fred said to Katrina, both he and George approaching the table.</p><p>"Of Gryffindor. We hope you slept well?" asked George, taking a kipper from Ron's plate. "These young ladies didn't give you any trouble, did they?"</p><p>"Or were you kept awake by your brother's shouting? You could hear him from Hogsmeade." He grinned at an unamused Harry. "And do mine ears deceive me? Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"</p><p>As Ron grumpily showed them his schedule, Harry twirled the knife in his hand, almost preparing to lodge it into one of their necks. The twins sniggered at Hermione's warning to remove their notice in the common room for product testers, claiming that her bigger concern was fifth year and the upcoming OWL exams. The exams were meant to test their proficiency, helping to decide their futures. Half of the classmates in their fifth year had breakdowns and tantrums from the pressure of mountains of homework and being held to a higher standard by the professors. Not achieving many OWLs themselves, they were not worried about their final year, more focused on upstarting their joke shop.</p><p>Following the line out of the Great Hall, someone nearly collided with Katrina's shoulder. It was the ebony-haired Slytherin girl.</p><p>"Do you know how to walk, Potter?" she asked, speaking slowly. The girls with her giggled into their sleeves. "Did someone show you how? I can ask my baby sister for tips."</p><p>Spotting her prefect badge, Katrina deduced she was the Parkinson girl Hermione mentioned on the train. The girl spoke to her like Sophie had the night before, though it seemed to be more malicious. Hermione kept a tight grip on the back of Harry's robes.</p><p>"Don't you have a ferret to bother, Parkinson? Do us all a favor and leave," said Fay, dismissively.</p><p>Chancing a glance at the teachers' table, the girl sneered at Fay. With a snap of her fingers, the other Slytherin girls trailed after her like ducklings, disappearing into the crowd.</p><p>"She's another one to avoid," Fay told Katrina, as they headed to History of Magic. "Pansy Parkinson. She's like a female version of Malfoy. They believe they're so great because of their families but in reality, they're dumber than a box of rocks. It's why they're soulmates."</p><p>"They're a couple?" asked Katrina, thinking of how Pansy was overly affectionate with him during Umbridge's speech.</p><p>"Not officially but she's his number one fan," said Sophie, with a shudder. "I guess spoiled brats gravitate towards each other. He could take a sip of pumpkin juice and she'd act like he walked on water. Her friends are horrid too. Millicent Bullstrode is the one who looks like she'd twist you into a pretzel, Daphne Greengrass was sort of decent in the beginning and now she's basically Pansy's number two, Aria Runcorn claims she's part siren but sounds like a dying whale, and Tracey Davis is the smartest of the bunch. It's not saying much but she helps Pansy with her insults."</p><p>An ancient, shriveled ghost floated in front of the blackboard in a classroom on the first floor. Between their cleaning bouts at Grimmauld Place, Harry had told her about the various professors, including the 'dull' Professor Binns. Dying in his sleep in the staffroom decades ago, he retained his position as the History of Magic professor, the class regarded as most boring. The reason became clear as Binns droned on about giant wars, a majority of the class drifted off into their own worlds. Katrina and Hermione remained alert, taking detailed notes while their fellow Gryffindors flipped through magazines under their desks, doodled on their parchment, or struggled to not fall asleep.</p><p>Sophie and Fay busied themselves with a <em>Witch Weekly</em> quiz about animagus forms. As Hermione shot disparaging looks at Harry and Ron, who showed no interest in a 16th century battle in the Balkan mountains and preferred to play hangman, Katrina noticed a silver glow from the inside of her bag. She enchanted her quill to take notes and peeked at the message written on the mirror: <em>Hogsmeade entrance, 5:15 PM, claim to be in meeting with Dumbledore</em>. Kane's message distracted her for the remainder of the lesson, her mind racing with theories of why he would meet so soon. Was he having second thoughts about her attending Hogwarts?</p><p>Lost in her thoughts, she left the classroom at the sound of the bell, nodding every so often to pretend to be listening to an argument between Ron and Hermione over his and Harry's dependence on her notes, Ron attempting to guilt her with the possibility of the boys failing their OWL exams. They secluded themselves in a corner of the courtyard, shielding themselves from the misty drizzle. With a flick of Katrina's wand, two stripes, brown and yellow, formed on the top-left corner of her parchment.</p><p>"What are you doing, Katrina?" asked Ron, as she slid the papers into a folder.</p><p>"I'm going to color code my notes so it's easier to study for exams," she said, closing her bag. "The top stripe is the subject and the other stripe is for the specific lesson. It keeps things organized."</p><p>He looked at her like she grew a second head. "Bloody hell. How do you have the time to come up with that? You might give Hermione a run for her money. If she doesn't get that stick out of her backside, you'll help me and Harry out, won't you?"</p><p>"Don't take advantage of her, Ron," said Hermione, sternly. "Instead of finding ways to slack off, why not put in an effort?"</p><p>Roger was sitting by the fountain with a group of seventh years, talking about quidditch. In the midst of laughing with his friends, he smiled at Katrina, who shifted her gaze to the sketchpad on her knee. Harry seemed to catch the small interaction but his attention was quickly diverted to Cho passing through the courtyard. Similar to their conversation on the train, rife with awkward pauses and stutters, her brother fell to pieces around the pretty girl, the conversation soon turning sour as Ron interrogated her over her support of the Tutshill Tornados. It spurred another argument between him and Hermione.</p><p>"What?" he asked Katrina, looking depressed. His crush on Cho was as obvious as a dragon among nifflers. "Why are you making that face?"</p><p>"No reason," she said, returning to her drawing of the courtyard.</p><p>Their bickering continued into Potions, Harry used to their spats by now and telling Katrina to let it run its course. Unlike History of Magic, which consisted of solely Gryffindors, their Potions class was shared with the Slytherins, both houses separating into opposite sides of the room. Katrina sat at a table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, feeling a pair of eyes on her. Draping her bag over her chair, she saw Draco at the next table over with those two boys he had been with on the train and a third stringy boy. She doubted it was coincidence that he had chosen the end of the table closest to her.</p><p>"Settle down," said Snape, sweeping over to his desk.</p><p>No one dared to defy the stony-faced professor. The way he spoke to the class, a stranger would presume that he could barely stand his students. It was his demeanor during Katrina's tutoring sessions dialed up to an eleven, his words of warning on passing their Potions OWL scaring some like Sophie and Neville. His displeasure was all the more visible when he looked at Harry, her brother returning the icy glare.</p><p>"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," he said, softly. "So whether you are intending to attempt NEWT or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students."</p><p>Their first lesson was the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety. Hermione sat up straighter at his mention of the potion requiring full concentration, one mistake possibly causing an irreversible sleep. Flicking his wand, the instructions appeared on the blackboard behind him and the students lined up to grab the necessary ingredients from the cupboard.</p><p>"Bet she's worse than Longbottom," someone whispered.</p><p>"Surprised she isn't taking class with the first years. That might be too hard for her," said another, not bothering to lower their voice. "She could stay with the owls but they're smarter. I heard she can't even read."</p><p>"Shut up, Parkinson," hissed Harry.</p><p>Pansy and Daphne persisted with their snide giggling. Tuning them out, Katrina collected her ingredients and began working on her potion. The draught was not as simple as the boil cure potion, the instructions extremely intricate. Snape moved around the classroom, openly criticizing many Gryffindors while passing by the Slytherin cauldrons without comment. Katrina thought it was unfair but the apparent norm, Snape, being the head of Slytherin, openly showing favoritism to his house.</p><p>The praise was not warranted, a few struggling as much as the Gryffindors but indifferent to following the instructions. In their minds, even with zero effort, they could pass the class. Draco's potion was admittedly the closest but nowhere near perfect, the cauldron of the stringy boy next to him emitting white steam. Sophie was quietly begging a frustrated Fay for assistance, her cauldron spitting red sparks. All around the room, different colored vapors rose to the ceiling and students attempted to stir their congealing mixtures. On the other side of Hermione, Harry was having trouble himself and Katrina thought of how to help him.</p><p>Her window of opportunity short, with Snape tearing Neville to shreds, she scribbled on a ripped piece of parchment. Before she could pass it to Harry, Snape faced the class, announcing that a light silver vapor should be rising from their cauldrons. Only Hermione and Katrina had brewed a suitable potion, the girls sharing a quick smile. As Katrina reduced the flames beneath her cauldron, she felt those eyes on her again.</p><p>"Potter, what is this supposed to be?" she heard.</p><p>Snape was peering into Harry's cauldron. The Slytherins eagerly abandoned their own cauldrons, awaiting the potion professor's criticism.</p><p>"The Draught of Peace," said Harry, tensely.</p><p>"Tell me, Potter, can you read?" asked Snape, leading to sniggers from the Slytherins.</p><p>Harry gripped his wand tightly. "Yes, I can."</p><p>Snape ordered him to read the third line of instructions. As he did, he realized his mistake, admitting that he forgot to add the two drops of hellebore.</p><p>"I know you did, Potter, which means this mess is utterly worthless," said Snape, sounding pleased. "Ev—"</p><p>Mid-spell, he snapped his head to Katrina and her raised hand. Everyone in the class turned to her, Hermione mouthing for her to lower her hand, Parvati subtly shaking her head, and Ron pale as a sheet.</p><p>"Two humiliated Potters for the price of one," Pansy whispered to Daphne.</p><p>"Sir, he can fix it," said Katrina, timidly. "If he adds two more scoops of powdered moonstone and stirs it four times counterclockwise, it'll come out right."</p><p>Pansy's smirk was wiped from her face. Katrina's detailed answer made the Slytherins question if she was correct or making it up in her head. No longer whispering rudely about her brother, Draco was looking over Katrina with the same expression he had on the train. Snape's dark eyes bored into hers for almost a full minute.</p><p>"Miss Potter, did I give any indication that this was meant to be a group assignment?" he asked, a rhetorical question. "I suggest you focus on your work instead of making excuses for your helpless brother."</p><p>The contents of Harry's cauldron vanished in an instant. Returning to his desk, Snape directed the class to fill a flagon with a labeled sample of their potion for testing and assigned them an essay on the properties of moonstone. Holding her breath from Ron's potion that smelled like rotten eggs, she placed her potion on Snape's desk. Harry was the first out the door, not bothering to wait for her or Ron and Hermione.</p><p>"Miss Potter, stay," said Snape, as she passed his desk. "Roper, Dunbar, unless you've suddenly changed your last names without my knowledge, there is no reason for you to linger. Get to lunch."</p><p>Fay had to physically push a reluctant Sophie out the door. Pansy whined for Draco to hurry up, the blonde Slytherin the last to leave the classroom.</p><p>"Professor, I wasn't—if I was being rude, I didn't—I wanted to—" Katrina stuttered.</p><p>He picked up her flagon. "Best in the class. You have an aptitude for potions, far beyond your fifth year peers. You were correct in your assessment. If I had asked anyone else in the class, they would not have come close to the answer but potion-making is not a team effort."</p><p>"He's my brother," she said, a weak defense.</p><p>"Students in my class succeed and fail on their own merits. Do not concern yourself with your brother's failings," he said, echoing Kane's advice. "It will hold you back. He unfortunately does not share your gifts. Let us not make this a habit."</p><p>"Yes, sir," she replied.</p><p>"You're free to go." The door creaked open. "And disregard Miss Parkinson's feeble-minded comments."<br/>Entering the Great Hall, she felt like she was under a magnifying glass. People whispered about her 'standing up to Snape', referring to what occurred in Potions class. Their version of events was twisted, acting like Katrina had savagely attacked him. Glowering at his plate, Harry tore into his shepherd's pie, Hermione's attempt to console him falling on deaf ears.</p><p>"Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots," said Ron sagely, as Katrina sat at the table. "Look at how he treated Katrina. She was helping Harry out and Snape wouldn't listen. Did he take points from Gryffindor? If he gave you detention, I'll go to Dumbledore myself."</p><p>"No. He said not to help," she said, uncomfortable with the whispers.</p><p>Harry looked up from his plate. "I'm sorry you got involved. Snape's the worst. First day and he already fails me."</p><p>"Well, you did technically forget the hellebore and he <em>did</em> say to pay attention." His eyes narrowed slightly. "N—not that it's all your fault. All that smoke made it hard to read sometimes but you can't blame him for what you did wrong."</p><p>"Whose side are you on?" he snarled. "You stood up for me, Katrina!"</p><p>"Because it wasn't fair for him to empty your cauldron. It doesn't erase your mistake." Her explanation did not abate his anger. "I'm not very hungry. I'm going to the library to work on my essay."</p><p>People were sparsely scattered around the library, their heads in books. Choosing a table in the back corner, Katrina opened her copy of <em>Magical Drafts and Potions</em>. Her thoughts kept drifting to Harry in the Great Hall. Had she been too harsh? She never wanted to anger him yet in all honesty, Snape's punishment, while cruel, made some sense. Kane would never stand for her blaming her mistakes on others.</p><p>As she skimmed a paragraph on moonstones, a shadow was cast over the table. Draco sank into the seat across from her, no bag or books in sight.</p><p>"Hello Katrina," he said, oddly polite. "Don't mind if I sit here, do you? Or are you going to have Potter try to hex me ?"</p><p>Keeping her head down, she flipped to the next page. "Unless I missed it, there aren't assigned seats. I can't force you to move but in the little time we've talked, this seems par for the course for you."</p><p>"What does that mean?" he asked, tracing a golden snitch etched into the table.</p><p>"I think you're a glutton for punishment," she replied, casually. "You and my brother clearly have an antagonistic relationship and he'll be angry if he sees you near me. You like getting a rise out of him and the constant fighting. I rest my case."</p><p>Smirking, he leaned towards her. "Or I just find you interesting. Is that so horrible?"</p><p>"I'm not interesting," she said, starting to write a new paragraph.</p><p>"Of course you are, Katrina. I find you utterly fascinating." His hand creeping too close, she moved her hand to her lap. "Tell me, how does a girl who spent all of her life locked away brew a potion as good as know-it-all Granger's and figure out how to fix a bad one like her brother's?"</p><p>"Lots of great tutoring from Hermione and I'm good at guessing," she said, refusing to meet his gaze. "Sorry to disappoint you."</p><p>Katrina found it difficult to concentrate on her essay, with Draco continuing to sit with her. He was completely silent and for once, she was not comforted by the quiet, mainly because he had resorted to tapping his fingers against the table. Certain that this was his tactic to fulfill his father's request, she remained unbothered and searched for a book in the Potions section.</p><p>"You've got plenty of time for work." Draco grabbed her intended book, holding it out of reach. "You <em>think</em> you know me but let me prove you wrong."</p><p>Katrina handed him a folded piece of parchment from the inside of her robes. "This will satisfy your curiosity."</p><p>He glanced at the parchment. "It's blank."</p><p>"Precisely. It's blank because I have nothing for you to tell someone who wants to use it as ammunition against me or my brother," she said, stopping herself from revealing what she heard in the exercise room. "Whatever game you're playing, I don't want any part in it. All I want is to get through the year and you should get started on that essay because you added way too much moonstone in your potion and if you had tested it, you'd be taking a very long nap."</p><p>Turning on her heel, she left the library and hid behind a rusty knight. Draco exited minutes later, checking both sides of the corridor before stuffing the parchment in his back pocket and walking towards the staircase. Opening her bag to put away her partially written essay, she noticed the edges of her mirror glowing silver.</p><p>Tapping it with her finger, the glass shimmered, revealing Jace. "Hey tiger. Good first day so far?"</p><p>There was a streak of purple paste under his bruised eye. "W—what happened?"</p><p>"Lukas and his ass kissers jumped me after training," he said, as if it was nothing. "His payback for the drawing room. The coward did it when Kane was called away for a meeting. It's not as bad as it looks, Katrina. It'll heal within the hour. How's Hogwarts? Did you meet Hannah yet?"</p><p>"No. I've only met a few people outside of Gryffindor," she whispered. "Maybe tomorrow during Herbology."</p><p>Katrina resisted the urge to tell him about Kane's message. It was against their code of conduct to discuss personal messages, as a precaution against someone masquerading as that person.</p><p>He leaned against the familiar wall of the training room. "I know that face. Spill it."</p><p>"It's about…Malfoy," she said, a half truth. "There's this room that the quidditch players use to exercise during the season and I used it for my drills like Kane said. The Slytherins came by…they didn't see me but I overheard them talking. His father told him to get close to me, to get information on Harry and maybe the Order."</p><p>"I figured," sighed Jace. "His father sees you as an easy target. Did you tell Dumbledore?"</p><p>"No, he hasn't gotten rough or anything. He's…persistent," said Katrina, hearing the bell ring. "I have to get to class. Don't leave the paste for more than an hour or it'll burn. I miss you."</p><p>"Miss you too," he replied, wincing from his sore eye. "I'll talk to you later. If Malfoy doesn't let up, you tell Dumbledore and then tell me. I'll teach that pampered prick a lesson."</p><p>Climbing up the staircase to Divinations, barely remembering the specific path Roger had shown her due to the crowd, she met up with Fay and Sophie. Fay was in a sour mood, thanks to a letter from her father. Despite her protests, he forbid her from trying out for the Gryffindor quidditch team, to better focus on her studies.</p><p>"It's not like I'm failing," grumbled Fay. "I'm doing loads better than that cow Parkinson but he'd sooner rip out his heart than say that to her despicable father. He worships those snooty families. I swear if it was between me and Malfoy, my father would save him."</p><p>"Speaking of Malfoy," Sophie glimpsed at the second year Hufflepuffs beside her. "Did he bother you in the library, Katrina? Hermione said you went there after Harry…"</p><p>"Was a total ass to you," finished Fay, one of the second year girls covering her ears.</p><p>"Fay," whispered Sophie, hitting her shoulder. "Well, after that, he yelled at Ron and Hermione and left then Draco walked in with Crabbe and Goyle. Those two gorillas that are always by his side? Anyway, I heard Adrian Pucey tell him where you were and he ditched in the middle of Pansy complimenting his hair."</p><p>"New girls shouldn't be alone anywhere, especially pretty ones," warned Fay. "You're like a shiny new toy to them."</p><p>"I didn't see him," lied Katrina. "I was pretty well-hidden in the back so he must've missed me. Why was Harry mad at Ron and Hermione?"</p><p>Fay shrugged. "One of them probably told him to shut it for once."</p><p>At the top of the North Tower, the Gryffindors were ascending a silver ladder attached to a trap door. The ladder led to the oddest room Katrina had been in: twenty circular tables crammed together, surrounded by armchairs and pouffes, shelves containing crystal balls, teacups, and playing cards, red scarves draped over lamps, and a heavy aroma of perfume. It was fitting that Professor Trelawney was a bit strange herself, resembling an ethereal owl with her thick glasses and gauzy shawls.</p><p>Harry waved her over to a table with him and Ron but unsure of his current temperament, Katrina sat with Sophie and Fay. Sophie informed her that Trelawney was easy to win over by grimly predicting their own demises. The idea sounded absurd, Katrina knowing that Elizabeth, Kane's second in command, was a seer, her gift of foresight helpful in several missions, but her predictions rarely pertained to tragedy or death.</p><p>Most of the class was spent reading the introduction to <em>The Dream Oracle</em>. In the last ten minutes, they were tasked with using the book to interpret each other's dreams. Trelawney hovered near Parvati and Lavender, both girls hanging on her every word. Divination was proven to be more guesswork than actual work, an innocent dream about cats being interpreted as good or bad depending on the fur color.</p><p>"Told you," muttered Sophie, as Trelawney loudly declared that the black cat in her dream was an omen of terrible suffering. "Your turn, Katrina. A long hallway means…change. That makes sense but if we ask Trelawney, she'll say it means you're turning into a monster or something."</p><p>As they left the classroom, Fay groaning over their assignment of a month long dream diary, Katrina saw Harry waiting at the bottom of the ladder. "Katrina, can we talk?" His eyes flickered between a wary Sophie and Fay. "In private? I'm allowed to talk to my sister."</p><p>"We'll be at the end of the hall in case you decide to have another tantrum," said Fay, earning a scowl from him.</p><p>When they were alone, Harry apologized for his behavior at lunch. "I was angry about Snape and I took it out on you. I wanted to talk to you about—"</p><p>"Wrap it up! We have a class to get to!" shouted Fay.</p><p>"Later. Come on," he mumbled.</p><p>Umbridge, wearing her fluffy pink cardigan and black velvet bow, was seated at her desk in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Her pouchy eyes followed Katrina as she walked to a table with Fay and Sophie.</p><p>"Well, good afternoon!" she exclaimed. She was dissatisfied with the poor response, just Katrina and a couple others giving a reply. "Tut, tut, that won't do now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge'. One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"</p><p>"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her.</p><p>Telling them to put away their wands ("Ugh, I can't take all this writing. My hand's going to fall off," whined Sophie), she tapped the blackboard sharply with her wand, <em>Defense Against the Dark Arts: A Return to Basic Principles</em> appearing on the board. Katrina wrote the same at the top of her parchment, listening to Umbridge discuss their 'disruptive, fragmented' lessons over the years. She considered their proficiency in the subject was below average, blaming their constantly changing, subpar professors. Jace had told Katrina about a rumored jinx on the position, professors unable to last more than a year for various reasons.</p><p>The message on the blackboard changed, listing course aims. Umbridge's idea of Ministry-approved standards centered on theory, not practicing actual defense. It contrasted with the very name of the class. Settling back at her desk, she directed them to read the first chapter of <em>Defensive Magical Theory</em>. The beginning paragraph further confirmed Katrina's suspicions of the Ministry's meddling, the first sentence questioning the purpose of defensive magic.</p><p>To her left, Hermione raised her hand, her book unopened. Umbridge, who held a determined stare on a window, was forced to acknowledge her, speaking to her like a small child. Hermione inquired about the course aims, specifically the lack of using defensive spells, and Umbridge's answer of not seeing the need to use spells in the classroom was comparable to a breaking dam, several students raising their hands.</p><p>Katrina listened in silence as Umbridge argued with the other Gryffindors, downplaying their concerns. Her sweet voice belied her vicious comments, dismissing Hermione for believing she knew better than Ministry experts and implying Remus was a dangerous half-breed. Umbridge was merely a conduit for the Ministry, to prove their supposed might and undermine Dumbledore for his lies about Voldemort, but to Katrina, the students were bearing the brunt of the punishment by limiting their education. Instead of learning proper defense, the Ministry would prefer for them to read out of books.</p><p>Harry was stewing in his seat, barely able to contain his anger. Sophie raised her hand after Umbridge told an incredulous Parvati that they would not perform defensive spells until their OWL exams, repeating that theory was enough to ensure success.</p><p>"Professor, no disrespect but how is reading about and casting the spell the same?" There were murmurs of agreement around the room. "Wouldn't it make sense to—"</p><p>"Miss Roper, as I've stated, with a structured curriculum, you will be more than prepared for your exams in June." Sophie was not comforted in the slightest. "I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough—"</p><p>"And what good's theory going to be in the real world?" asked Harry loudly, his fist in the air.</p><p>"This is school, not the real world, Mister Potter," she countered.</p><p>The discussion went from bad to worse, with Harry bringing up the threat of Voldemort. Hearing the name sent the class into a panic: Fay's quill snapping in half, Neville falling off his chair, and Lavender uttering a terrified squeal. There was a hint of grim satisfaction in Umbridge's eyes, suggesting that she wanted to veer into this direction. Taking ten points from Gryffindor, she addressed the class about the purported lies, amid interruptions from a fuming Harry, and insisted that the Ministry guaranteed their safety, urging them to come forward if they heard any fibs about dark wizards.</p><p>"Harry, please don't. It won't help," whispered Katrina as he stood up, in spite of the fact that Umbridge had already given him detention.</p><p>"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" he asked, his voice shaking.</p><p>"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," replied Umbridge, coldly.</p><p>"It was murder," he said, his entire body shaking in contained rage. "Voldemort killed him and you know it."</p><p>Quietly ordering him to her desk, the class watched with bated breath as she scribbled on a piece of pink parchment, gave it to Harry, and he marched out of the room. To avoid being her next victim, they read, or at least pretended to, until the end of the lesson.</p><p>"What do you think the note said?" Sophie asked Katrina in a hushed tone.</p><p>"Hem, hem." Katrina looked over at Umbridge. "May I have a word, Miss Potter?"</p><p>"I'll be fine," she whispered to Sophie. "I have to see Dumbledore anyway so I'll meet you in the common room."</p><p>Ron and Hermione were the last to leave, taking their time gathering their belongings to eavesdrop on the conversation. "I trust you're adjusting well? It must be such a transition and I imagine your brother's unstable rantings aren't making it easy. Don't be nervous, dear. We got off on the wrong foot when you gave your testimony to Head Auror Scrimgeour but it wasn't out of ill intent. The Minister is thrilled that you've survived and he wishes to support your reintroduction to society."</p><p>An idea popped into Katrina's head. "I appreciate that, professor. I apologize for my brother's outburst."</p><p>"No need," said Umbridge, smiling. "I expected as much before I arrived at the castle. If ever you wish to talk, my door is always open."</p><p>With a silent nod, Katrina walked out of the room and sneaked past the students heading to the Great Hall. Kane was standing at the gated entrance to Hogsmeade, his eyes on his watch.</p><p>"Good thing I gave you that extra five minutes or you may have been late," he said, facing her.</p><p>"Umbridge wanted to talk to me," she explained. "There was a…heated debate in class and Harry struggled to reign in his temper. I stayed quiet the whole time. She said she and the Ministry are there to help me and she must think I'm clueless so I thought it might be useful in the future to be more agreeable towards her."</p><p>Kane chuckled. "I've taught you well. The Ministry's antics are secondary but it's important to know what they're up to, especially if it works in favor of Voldemort. You'll need to take off your robes and tie before we leave, for security."</p><p>"She's not teaching any defensive spells," said Katrina, unfastening her robes. "She's willing to leave them vulnerable to prove a point."</p><p>After she stuffed her robes and tie into her bag, he apparated them to his manor. He led her down to the basement, to the end of the hall where Mr. Moore was outside a steel door. The burly man gripped her shoulder, gazing down at her in a fatherly manner.</p><p>"Kane, we shouldn't—" he started.</p><p>"This isn't up for negotiation," argued Kane. It was strange for the two men to be at odds. "Katrina, we've apprehended a dangerous individual. He has withstood our usual methods, even occlumency. You can loosen his tongue."</p><p>Realizing what he meant, she froze, biting her bottom lip. On rare occasions, Kane involved her in interrogations, using her siphoning abilities to his advantage. She would never accuse him of putting her in danger but the chance of losing control worried her. Having no say in the matter, she removed her gloves, handing them to a remorseful Mr. Moore, and stepped into the room. A heavily beaten man, his right eye swollen shut and multiple scratches across his bearded face, was bound to a chair with thick black cords.</p><p>"Ready to give up, Carlisle? We all have to suffer a loss now and then. Whatever you're looking for, you won't get it from me," he said, speaking with a Southern accent. He spotted Katrina beside him. "If you've come to bargain, she is rather tempting, I must say."</p><p>Moving behind the chair, Katrina placed her hands on either side of his head. A surge of energy flowed through her, like she had swallowed a dozen invigoration draughts.</p><p>"What were you doing in that apothecary, Andrews?" asked Mr. Moore, his wand tip glowing bright red. "It wasn't a random hit. You were searching for something. What was it? Who sent you?"</p><p>Andrews coughed violently, spitting blood onto the floor. Her hands warm, she started to loosen her grip until Kane ordered her otherwise. The veins in the Andrews's wrists became more pronounced, his skin an ashy grey.</p><p>"W—what is this?" he said, his head falling forward. Another puddle of blood gathered around his feet. "What's happening? I can't—"</p><p>"Get in his head," Kane told her. "Enough with the bravado, Andrews. We know you're not the brains of this operation. Why were you in the apothecary?"</p><p>Closing her eyes, she delved into his mind, getting flashes of images. "He was looking for Peruvian Vipertooth venom. It's not sold in open markets but this apothecary had it in stock for a client with the right price."</p><p>"Get…out…" he panted.</p><p>"There's a knife…no, a dagger…" Her hands were shaking. "A drawing of a cave…white peacocks…"</p><p>Katrina was forcibly separated from Andrews. "That's enough." A sort of hunger churned inside her as she looked at Mr. Moore. "I can take it from here, Kane. She gave us a good start."</p><p>The hunger vanished when her gloves reappeared on her hands. Steering her out of the basement, Kane struck the top of her head with his wand to drain the magic she had absorbed during the interrogation.</p><p>"Take a moment." She rubbed her head. "This stays between us, Katrina. Until it's necessary, Jace remains in the dark."</p><p>"I—I won't tell," she said, knowing the rules. "Is that man a death eater?"</p><p>"Leave the case to me and Alaric." He rested his hand on her shoulder. "Whatever that scum is planning, we'll put a stop to it. I want your mind on your lessons, not criminals."</p><p>As he brought her back to Hogwarts, she thought of what she witnessed in the man's mind and her craving for that warm feeling.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Losing Control</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"That's his sister."</p><p>"Poor thing. Gets out of one tragedy and now she's in another."</p><p>"Does she believes what he's saying?"</p><p>"Maybe crazy runs in the family."</p><p>The gossip among the students had shifted from her 'confrontation' with Snape to Harry's outburst in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Katrina listened to their ill-informed mutterings about his mental state and his rantings about witnessing Cedric Diggory's murder. No one was inclined to believe Harry's version of events, the Ministry's barrage of attacks through the <em>Daily Prophet</em>, whether blatant or buried within random articles, proving effective in painting her brother as a delusional attention-seeker. If any of them gathered the courage to confront her, she would say the same thing she did to Lavender on the first night. What did Harry gain from stirring up a panic? Did his peers believe he thrived from their taunts?</p><p>On the third floor corridor, she spotted Draco with Crabbe, Goyle, and that stringy boy.</p><p>"That's a terrible idea." Draco told the boy, resting on a bust of a witch. "Sure, I'll just say 'My father <em>allegedly</em> works for the man who wants your brother dead but why shouldn't we get to know each other?'. In what twisted world would that work?"</p><p>Using the older Ravenclaw boys passing by as a cover, Katrina turned in the opposite direction towards the door to Gryffindor Tower. As she reached for the iron handle, it slid to the opposite side of the door then to the top. Still woozy from Kane's spell, a common side effect, she would rather not speak to who she assumed to be the culprit but the hand pressing against the door, a silver ring bearing the Slytherin crest glinting in the light, made the choice for her.</p><p>"Katrina, wandering the halls all alone?" asked Draco, feigning concern.</p><p>"I had meeting with Dumbledore," she said, plainly. "Curfew isn't until nine. I was on my way to the common room."</p><p>"Well, I wouldn't be doing my duty as a prefect if I didn't accompany you." His generosity would have seemed genuine, if not for his friends observing them from a distance. "People aren't very fond of your brother at the moment, with his ramblings, and someone with bad intentions could take it out on you."</p><p>Katrina let out a quiet sigh. "Please get out of my way, Malfoy."</p><p>"Why don't you make me?" he asked, mockingly.</p><p>"You really don't want me to," she said, feeling her wand beneath her sleeves.</p><p>Continuing to block her path, he grinned. "You're adorable when you try to be intimidating. You <em>did</em> say I'm a glutton for punishment and maybe I like this game of cat and mouse between us."</p><p>Standing on her toes, she waved behind him. "Hi Pansy!"</p><p>At the mention of the possessive Slytherin girl, he whipped his head around, resembling a meerkat popping out of its hole. Using the distraction, Katrina repaired the door and slipped through, casting a locking charm before hurrying up the staircase. She second guessed her decision to flee when she entered the Gryffindor common room, to Hermione yelling at Fred, George, and their Lee, surrounded by unconscious first years slumped in their chairs or flat on their backs.</p><p>Shaking a clipboard and a paper bag, Hermione lectured the three boys about testing their joke products, created by the twins, on students. Around the room, people were watching the increasingly loud argument, even Purrsephone and Crookshanks frozen by the staircase. Harry and Ron were sitting by the fireplace, potions books on their laps and Ron struggling to hide his lanky frame. Staying in the archway, Katrina listened to their arguing, Hermione trying to assert her authority and Fred and George teasing her.</p><p>Their laughter stalled at Hermione threatening to write to Mrs. Weasley, the one person able to reign in their hijinks. Shoving the clipboard and bag into a thunderstruck Fred's chest, Hermione returned to her chair, throwing an acidic look at a cowering Ron. George begrudgingly ushered away the drowsy first years, after giving them a few sickles.</p><p>"Is everything okay? I heard Umbridge wanted to talk to you after class and you went to visit Dumbledore," said Harry, as she joined him by the fireplace.</p><p>Purrsephone jumped into her lap. "He was checking on my first day and asked me to taste his lemon bars." The three Gryffindors looked at her curiously. "I got him into baking. He's getting better. What happened with McGonagall?"</p><p>Umbridge extended his punishment from a single day of detention to an entire week. McGonagall refused to reverse the decision, citing that Umbridge, being a professor, had the right to give him detention for what she perceived as poor behavior in her class. She further warned him to control his temper, detentions on the low end of how Umbridge, with her connections to Fudge, could ruin his school year.</p><p>Fussing over her argument with the twins, Hermione gave up on her Potions essay and wrenched her bag open, pulling out two misshapen pieces of wool. She had knitted the hats during the summer for her crusade in house-elf rights, hoping to free the ones employed at Hogwarts. Ron reacted angrily when she covered the hats with bits of parchment and broken quills, prompting another spat.</p><p>He waited for her to disappear up the staircase and removed the rubbish, claiming it was unfair to trick the elves who may not want freedom. Choosing to work on his essay another night, he traipsed up to the boys' dormitories and Harry was about to join him until he brushed his fingers over his lightning bolt scar.</p><p>"Harry?" asked Katrina, worried.</p><p>"It's nothing," he mumbled, picking up his bag. "My head's hurting from having to argue with that toad and hearing everyone call me a nutter at dinner. Are you coming?"</p><p>"No, you go ahead." Petting behind Purrsephone's ear, she eyed him as he walked up the stairs. "I have a potentially bad idea, Seffie."</p><p>Katrina spent the night working on her assignments. By midnight, the common room had emptied, aside from her, Fred, George, and Lee, the three seventh years testing their products on themselves. It provided her some entertainment to see one of them pass out and wake minutes later on the floor. She declined their attempts to include her as a tester though she advised them on how to improve their fainting fancies, to leave the person lucid enough to chew the other half of the sweet.</p><p>At five o'clock the next morning, Katrina repeated her morning routine, moving around her bed and trunk without waking the other girls, but instead of heading to the exercise room, she sneaked up to the boys' dormitories. The fifth year room was similar in design to the girls' side, except messy and permeating the blended stench of cologne and dirty laundry. Stepping over a pile of books, she tiptoed to Harry's bed and tickled his chin with a quill.</p><p>Harry shot up, panting heavily. "I'm u—Katrina? What are you—"</p><p>Reaching for his glasses on his nightstand, he glanced out at the blue-bronze sky then to the clock by a snoring Seamus. She gently placed his bag on the bed and pressed a finger to her lips.</p><p>"Get dressed into something comfortable, get your stuff for the day together, and meet me in the common room," she whispered to her baffled brother. "You have five minutes. If you take a second longer, I'll send Cho a love letter from you."</p><p>"Why—" he started.</p><p>She tapped her wrist. "Four minutes, fifty eight seconds."</p><p>Harry stumbled down the staircase, tying his sneakers. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she left the common room, deflecting his questions with a warning about Mr. Filch. They walked in silence to the first floor corridor.</p><p>"Katrina—" She opened the door to the exercise room. "Why are we in here? We should be sleeping."</p><p>"You need to control your temper," she said, taking a pair of training gloves from her bag. "You can't blow up at Umbridge or anyone who doesn't believe you. I have a solution. What happens in here stays between us."</p><p>"What are you on about?" he croaked. "I'm f—"</p><p>"You're <em>not</em> fine. Your mood changes at the drop of a hat," she said, tossing him the gloves. "Kane didn't have me sit in my room for fifteen years. He put me through training drills and as intense as they are, they'll help you get through the day without wanting to explode at a sixth year calling you a basket case."</p><p>"I appreciate what you're trying to do but I don't think a punching bag will work," he said, as she sifted through her bag. "What I need is everyone to understand what's right in front of them instead of reading that garbage <em>Daily Prophet</em> but sadly, that won't happen anytime soon so I will resort to saying mean things about them in my head and imagining people like Malfoy getting eaten by the giant squid."</p><p>She handed him fighting sticks. "No punching bags. You're going to channel the anger into those and come at me. Don't hold back."</p><p>He pinched his nose. "Kat—"</p><p>In two seconds, he was knocked to the floor. She poked his side with her foot, hinting for him to get up for another round. His eyes wide, he stared at her like she was a ghost. Picking up the sticks, he stood up, clutching his ribs, and Katrina started again, before he could say a single word. It was tamer than her usual drills but she believed helping Harry was more important. They spent the next two hours sparring, her brother blocking a couple blows but never able to get the upper hand. As he dodged her swing, she jabbed him in the stomach and swept his leg, sending him to the floor for the twentieth time.</p><p>He rolled onto his side. "I need a minute."</p><p>"This was me going easy," she said, crossing her arms. "Do you feel better?"</p><p>"Well now instead of thinking about my anger, I can think about my broken back courtesy of my ninja sister," he replied, clutching his lower back.</p><p>She threw him a playful glare. "Ha ha. Maybe if you paid attention to Kane's lesson at Grimmauld Place, you would've known how to block my move."</p><p>"Seriously. Where did that come from? I don't see the connection between this…" Getting to his feet, he motioned his hand over her. "And you tossing me around like a potato sack. Are we triplets and you two switch every hour?"</p><p>"Kane's made enemies throughout his life and if they ever broke into the manor, he wanted me to be prepared," she explained. "I knew keeping me cooped up kept me safe but there were times that I would get frustrated and this gave me an outlet. If Umbridge is serious about her no defensive magic rules, it might not be so bad to learn other ways of defense. You'd be impressed by what the task force can do without magic."</p><p>In the Great Hall, Harry continued to be the main topic of conversation. The Slytherins openly ridiculed him, acting out his outburst with Umbridge. Draco's imitation, placing his circled hands over his eyes like glasses, elicited a shriek of laughter from the table, Pansy and her clique particularly obnoxious. Katrina stopped Harry from reaching for his wand, telling him to ignore the immature stunt. It was vexing to hear people from the Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor tables snicker at Pansy calling them 'the psycho Potter twins'. Staying by his side, Katrina brushed off their remarks as childish and not worth a response.</p><p>"Stupid gits," hissed Ron. "Where were you two?"</p><p>"Went for a walk to clear my head." Harry rubbed his back. "We bumped into Mrs. Norris and I fell into a knight. What's the chance I can use that to get out of class today?"</p><p>"Don't let them win," said Katrina, adding honey to her tea. "Hiding in your room proves them right. The best they've got is bad impressions and nicknames. By lunch, it'll die down and something else will be on their feeble minds."</p><p>"That's so wise, Katrina." Sophie slid across the bench, holding her clipboard. "Do you want to help me get signatures? It'll look good if we have support from the other houses."</p><p>Fay was reading a quidditch magazine. "She's saying that because Anthony Goldstein has been looking over at you the past ten minutes. It's a miracle he hasn't flooded the Great Hall yet."</p><p>Harry choked on his pumpkin juice. "What?" asked Sophie, her voice going up several octaves. "That's not—come on, let's talk to them. It'll broaden your horizons, meet new people…"</p><p>With Harry struggling to move, thanks to his pain from training drills, Sophie brought her over to the Ravenclaw table. Many of the students reacted similarly to the Gryffindors, who signed to end Sophie's incessant campaigning rather than an actual enthusiasm for the arts, but after awhile, Katrina noticed that the boys were more eager than the girls, not even needing the basis for the petition. Some offered to sign as Sophie mentioned that Katrina was part of her endeavor or after a short introduction, Sophie giving her a supportive smile with each new signature.</p><p>"Let's get a few more before Charms," said Sophie, swapping out the filled parchment with a new one. "Ginny's dating Michael Corner so we can use that. He and his friends won't need much swaying. Hi!"</p><p>Katrina followed her over to a group of fifth years. One of them looked exactly like Parvati, Katrina vaguely recalling Hermione mentioning that she had a twin. Another girl, with eye-catching pink tips at the end of her ponytail, wrinkled her nose at the peppy Sophie. The boy on her right was subtly fixing his golden blonde hair, mumbling to the boy beside him.</p><p>"Michael, how would you like to sign a petition for a fun activity at Hogwarts?" she asked the amused boy. "It's something Katrina and I are very passionate about…you haven't met Katrina, have you? This is Michael, Anthony, Terry, and Stephen."</p><p>"Can you be more transparent, Roper?" interrupted the girl, rudely. Sophie's manicured nails scratched the back of the clipboard. "Why put yourself through the pain of convincing Dumbledore when we both know that I'll get the lead and you'll be lucky to get a bit part?"</p><p>"Oh, spare me your delusions, Li," Sophie retorted. "You and Runcorn can't carry a tune."</p><p>As both girls slung insult after insult, their friends apparently used to the fiery barbs, the golden-haired greeted Katrina. "I'm Anthony." He appeared to mentally scold himself. "But you knew that already because…Sophie said so. How are you liking Hogwarts so f—"</p><p>Anthony trailed off, his friends, previously pretending to not listen, sharing fearful expressions. Harry was behind her, grasping the strap of his bag so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Apologizing to Sophie, who was busy calling the Ravenclaw girl a 'tone deaf hag', he reminded a confused Katrina that she left her Charms book in the Gryffindor common room.</p><p>"I have my books in my bag," she said, as he led her out of the Great Hall.</p><p>He nodded, guiding her to the marble steps. "My mistake but the bell's about to ring so why not get to Charms early?"</p><p>Katrina shot her brother a side-eyed glance. "Is this about Anthony and his friends?"</p><p>"I'm your brother, Katrina. It's my job to scare off any git who so much as smiles at you. I'm a 'madman', remember?" he said, puffing out his chest. "I saved you from those duffers. Goldstein's…we've barely talked but he's an idiot."</p><p>"So I'm not allowed to talk to boys?" she asked, entering the Charms classroom. "You let me talk to Ron."</p><p>"Because Ron wouldn't—that's—Katrina, I know how teenage boys think." The way he spoke, he considered it a valid defense. "You're—some might—you're very…nice-looking. It starts with Goldstein and then if I'm not around, it'll be a Slytherin goon with no manners. I just want to protect you."</p><p>"I'm not some defenseless doe, Harry," she said, sitting at a desk. "Pretty sure I proved that when I knocked you down twenty times this morning."</p><p>During Charms, which was unfortunately with the Ravenclaws, Katrina tuned out Harry's pleas, listening to Flitwick's lecture on their OWL exam and summoning charms. His apologies rang hollow when his shrewd eyes followed an innocent Anthony, to deter him from choosing a seat anywhere near her. Katrina's frosty attitude towards him persisted into Transfiguration, where she chose to sit with Sophie and Fay. Sophie was complaining about the Ravenclaw girl ("Sue Li. I'd love to set her precious hair on fire"), McGonagall silencing her with a severe look. At the desk in the front of the room, Hermione, sensing the friction, chewed out Harry for his boorish behavior while scribbling notes on vanishing spells.</p><p>"Did we activate a time turner and we're in the 1950s?" muttered Fay. "He shouldn't have an aneurysm if a boy looks at you. Boys are dumb. This is why I'm glad I don't have any siblings."</p><p>"Miss Dunbar, pay attention!" McGonagall passed around a box of snails around the classroom. "Vanishing spells require the utmost concentration on the proper wand movements, as displayed on the board."</p><p>Sophie gagged at the slime dripping from the snail. Taking out four pieces of parchment, she boxed in the snail to minimize the risk of touching it when casting the spell.</p><p>Katrina pointed her wand at her snail. "Evanesco."</p><p>The snail vanished from the desk. "Excellent work, Miss Potter."</p><p>People swiveled in their seats, momentarily forgetting that they were supposed to be practicing the spell. McGonagall awarded her ten points for casting it on the first try. As Sophie recoiled from her snail, an exasperated McGonagall advised Katrina to assist her. It was easier said than done, with Sophie fighting to not have her wand within an inch of the slimy creature. By the end of the lesson, Hermione was the only other student who managed to completely vanish their snail, the rest of the class given homework to practice the spell. Sophie happily levitated her snail back into the box, pleased that she vanished its backside.</p><p>"Watch your back. Hermione might hit you with a bat bogey hex," joked Fay.</p><p>"I won't do that," assured Hermione, pushing in her chair. "I like the competition. It's refreshing to have someone challenge me after all these years."</p><p>They left the classroom. "We should use that spell on Li," suggested Sophie. "Can we say for certain that her family would miss her? I've seen her getting dropped off at the train station and her father looks like he could go either way."</p><p>"Sophie!" said Katrina, as Fay snickered at the idea. "She can't be that b—"</p><p>"YOU'RE DEAD, POTTER!"</p><p>A Ravenclaw boy, a friend of Roger's, stormed down the grand staircase, shoving through the crowd. Looking like a speeding train, he showed little regard for a first year Hufflepuff girl who smacked her head into the marble railing, his dark eyes on a paralyzed Harry and a letter tucked into his balled fist. A silence fell over the corridor, no one willing to interfere out of fear or interest in a possible duel. Knocking aside a defensive Ron, he was about to grab ahold of Harry's robes when Roger, squeezing through the frozen crowd, moved between them, in hopes to deescalate the situation. The Slytherins egged his friend on, acting like it was a form of entertainment.</p><p>"Shut up, Pucey. Liam, relax. Don't do anything stupid," said Roger, calmly. "Let's talk it out in the common room."</p><p>"No. He deserves it!" he barked, brandishing the letter.</p><p>While sitting in the common room for break, Liam had received the letter through the fireplace from his mother. His father, an employee of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was arrested at their home for treason against the Ministry, officials, including those in his own department, reporting his activities. Supportive of Dumbledore, and by extension Harry, he believed him at his word about Voldemort and his involvement in the death of Cedric Diggory, Cedric's father and Liam's close friends, reportedly accusing Fudge of 'burying his head in the sand' to appease the aristocrats who filled his pockets with 'donations' and maintain his power.</p><p>His father was taken to Azkaban to await trial, Liam's mother an emotional wreck over her husband's potential imprisonment. Equally upset over the arrest, Liam blamed Harry's insane stories, targeting a younger student over a powerful wizard like Dumbledore. Roger and another Ravenclaw boy named Finn kept him from doing something he would later regret but harsh words from Liam were enough to set off Harry's wavering temper. Ron was holding onto Harry, ready himself to fight the antagonistic Ravenclaw.</p><p>Solely focused on protecting Harry, Katrina broke away from the group hiding by the Charms classroom. "Come on, Potter. You beat you know who, didn't you?" goaded Liam. "Dazzle us with your skills!"</p><p>"Don't," whispered Katrina, stepping in front of an enraged Harry. "Remember this morning. Don't give Umbridge a reason to give you a bigger punishment. All that matters is you know you're right."</p><p>Liam was beginning to break free from his friends. "Aw, are you going to run off and cry to Dumbledore?"</p><p>Harry gritted his teeth. "You have every right to be upset but don't put the blame on my brother," said Katrina, her composed tone in contrast to Harry's volcano-like anger. "Your father is an adult capable of having his own opinions and decisions."</p><p>"Stay out of it. Is your sister fighting your battles for you, Potter?" he taunted. "I didn't peg you as a coward."</p><p>Mouthing for Ron to help her, they directed Harry towards the staircase, despite his desire to duel 'that mouthy git'. Feeling a light breeze, Katrina raised her wand, catching the end of a golden whip attached to the end of Liam's wand. Golden sparks from the whip bounced against her fingertips, giving her a tiny boost of energy. Disintegrating the whip, she sent Liam flying with a spiraling gust of wind, his body slamming into the nearest wall. In stunned silence, people looked from her to the barely conscious Liam. Roger had his wand out to quell further dueling, from his friend or any student wanting to join in for fun.</p><p>"If anyone is a coward, it's you for attacking a person behind their back," she argued. "Instead of engaging in pointless fights, maybe you should be talking to your mother. I'm sure she'd be very proud of you."</p><p>Liam staggered to his feet. "You snotty b—"</p><p>"Mister Chambers, you will not finish that sentence." The crowd parted like the stairs were made of lava, revealing Snape. "Get to Professor Flitwick's office. Your head of house is already aware of your antics. Davies, escort him to ensure he does not get lost. Miss Potter, with me."</p><p>There was an instant uproar, many insisting that Katrina was defending Harry. "But sir, she didn't—"</p><p>Snape held up his index finger. "Mister Davies, I can request that you are given Mister Chambers's punishment. Do not have me tell you again."</p><p>His office, its shadowy walls lined with shelves of glass jars of potions and ingredients and dimly lit, suited the surly potions professor perfectly. As Katrina sat in a chair, dreading her punishment, Snape examined the shelves. Would she be joining Harry in detention or did he have a different idea in mind?</p><p>"Hold out your hand. The one that was struck by Chambers's weakly executed spell," he said, uncorking the vial of a silver potion. "It will reverse the effects caused by your abilities."</p><p>Katrina removed the glove from her left hand, golden sparks traveling between her fingertips. Snape tilted the potion over her hand and as it poured over her fingertips, the sparks faded into the air.</p><p>"To err on the side of caution, you may stay in here for a few minutes," he said, resealing the vial.</p><p>"A—am I getting a detention?" Snape turned towards her. "Magic in the corridors isn't allowed. I shouldn't have retaliated but he was getting under my brother's skin and I thought it was better for me to act than him."</p><p>"You are not being punished, Miss Potter." She glanced up at him, her hands curled under the chair. "There are exceptions to the rule and as your peers will attest to, it was self defense. Do not take Mister Chambers's words to heart. His tantrum would be better suited at the Ministry for their actions. His father isn't the first to be unjustly arrested and in these times, he won't be the last."</p><p>Opening his desk drawer, he handed back her Potions book. "His other books were better," she admitted. "He spent half of this one criticizing that modern potions are less innovative but then contradicted himself with saying that experimenting was harmful. Every other paragraph mentioned his potioneering awards too."</p><p>"Awards he received ironically for modifying ingredients," he replied, with an almost perceptible amusement.</p><p>After such a tense encounter, it uplifted her to have a normal conversation with someone equally or more knowledgeable about potions. If she had made the same criticism around Jace, he would either reply with a silent nod or move on to a new topic. It was odd that while he treated her brother horribly, he did not seem opposed to her company. Thanking Snape, she headed out of the dungeons.</p><p>"Which do you like? Draco."</p><p>Draco tore his gaze away from the double doors of the Great Hall, perking up when he noticed a head of red hair but then disappointed at the sight of the youngest Weasley or some other student. He was not the only one searching for any sign of Katrina, several Gryffindors eyeing the doors. After Snape disrupted the fight between Potter and Chambers, which essentially ended when Katrina intervened with her spell, he ordered her to his office, no one certain of her fate. Being a Gryffindor and Potter's sister both worked against her, in regards to Snape. If Draco was not afraid of drawing suspicion, including from his house, he would have followed them to the dungeons, to plead on her behalf.</p><p>Pansy, engrossed in less pressing matters, looked at him expectantly, displaying two red cards on the table. His father told him to be respectful and cozy up to her so often that Draco jokingly considered it part of their family motto. The Malfoys and Parkinsons were longstanding friends for centuries and to pair him and Pansy together, a choice from the day they were born, was both a calculated move to assert their dominance in the wizarding world and a celebration of that tight-knit relationship.</p><p>Draco never objected to Pansy's affections and constant attention but over the summer, that had changed, from the moment he met Katrina in Flourish and Blotts. Before he knew that she was a Potter, dominating more headlines than her annoying brother, he found himself attracted to her obvious beauty and soft-spoken nature. He enjoyed the challenge of cracking the mystery of her, not just to please his father but to satisfy his own curiosity.</p><p>"They're both red," he said, lazily taking a bite of his chicken.</p><p>Pansy patted his arm. "You're so silly. This one is garnet and this one is wine." Theodore snorted into his goblet. "I prefer the garnet. It would go good with both of our complexions. It's important for us to match for the Ministry party."</p><p>"Who cares about a lame party where we get paraded around by our parents to old Ministry ladies that gush over how big we've gotten?" said Adrian, reliving that nightmare in his head. "How did she do it?"</p><p>"What are you on about?" asked Aria, curling her auburn hair with her wand to match a model in <em>Witch Weekly</em>.</p><p>He lowered his voice as McGonagall passed the table. "Katrina Potter, who else? You saw how she flattened Chambers with one hit." Pansy scoffed, resting the cards against Draco's cheek. "She spent her whole life holed up with no one else around except for a lunatic. I doubt he was teaching her magic."</p><p>"Probably learned it from Granger," said Daphne, uninterested. "The mudblood can't help showing off."</p><p>Graham shrugged. "The spell, maybe, but those reflexes? She blocked Chambers without looking and then hit him pretty fast. It is weird. We don't know what Lee was really doing with her. The <em>Daily Prophet</em> said that he wanted to train her up for the Dark Lord. Maybe it's an act."</p><p>"Or just luck," said Blaise, a rare participant in their conversations.</p><p>That speculation was what prompted Draco's father to have him befriend Katrina, an admittedly difficult task when she had her perceptions of him painted by Gryffindors and overpraised idiots like Jace Moore. The <em>Daily Prophet</em> articles had pegged an old acquaintance of his father's as her kidnapper but the Dark Lord had never tasked him with that mission. It raised the question if Lee had done it of his own accord, to curry favor with the Dark Lord, or it was all an elaborate lie.</p><p>Katrina entered the Great Hall, behind a trio of third year girls. Her hands, partly concealed by black fingerless gloves, were further hidden by the sleeves of her robes. It had not gone unnoticed by the Hogwarts students that she wore the gloves, rumored to be a fashion style in America, and avoided physical contact, even wrapping up her hands before touching Potter's back to lead him away from Chambers. With her tragic past, it was understandable that she was not used to being around people.</p><p>Judging by the cheers from the Gryffindor table, as she sat beside Roper, she had not received a punishment. Pretending to care about matching attire, absentmindedly nodding his head to Pansy's gibberish, Draco watched the redheaded Gryffindor, thinking of ways to get closer to her.</p><p>"How did you convince Snape not to punish you?" asked an astonished Parvati.</p><p>Katrina was waiting to exit the Great Hall, the crowd sluggishly moving through the doors to enjoy seconds of freedom before their next class. The Gryffindors were relieved that she had not received detention and surprised by Snape's lenience.</p><p>"He said it was self defense," said Katrina, keeping her guard up in case Liam wanted revenge. "It was probably a one time thing."</p><p>Dean caught her peeking at a knot of Ravenclaw boys ahead of them. "Chambers won't try anything. If he's that dumb, he shouldn't be in that house."</p><p>"Katrina!" Roger walked down the staircase. "Could we—I wanted to check on you. I won't make you late to class."</p><p>"Take all the time you need," said Sophie, graciously. She nudged the Gryffindors forward. "We'll be…where we're supposed to be. Bye, Roger."</p><p>Katrina was unsure of what to expect from him. Though he attempted to defend her to Snape, what if he blamed her for whatever Flitwick had decided to do with his friend?</p><p>"Snape wasn't too harsh, was he? If he gave you detention, I'll get you out of it," he said, looking guilty. "Liam swore he wouldn't actually do anything but then Harry came by and—"</p><p>"I—I didn't get in trouble," she replied. "I'm sor—"</p><p>"Don't apologize," he insisted. "Harry isn't the reason his father was arrested. You're lucky you blocked his spell."</p><p>"Yeah, lucky," she mumbled to herself.</p><p>"Flitwick gave him a week's detention for threatening a student but he let him leave to visit his mother." He waved at passing Ravenclaw girls, who threw Katrina nasty glares behind his back. "The Slytherins are probably getting ideas now to go beyond their usual insults and I don't want them to give Snape a reason to have you back in his office or Merlin forbid, sent to Dumbledore. Until this settles down, why don't you come to the Ravenclaw quidditch tryouts during dinner? If it ends early enough, I could teach you to fly."</p><p>"Sure," she agreed, seeing that he was torn up over the incident. "N—no promises on the flying though."</p><p>Roger grinned. "It wasn't an outright no so I will take it as a win."</p><p>Harry and Ron were halfway down the sloping lawn toward Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, speaking in hushed whispers. Their references to 'that lunkhead' and 'showing him a real nutter' suggested that they were discussing the fight with Liam. Katrina had hoped the hour spent in the library, working on his potions essay, would have calmed him down but he was as incensed as ever, mostly about Liam calling him a deranged lunatic with a bed reserved at St. Mungo's.</p><p>"It's always the quiet ones you have to look out for, mate. Best not to get on their bad side," muttered Ron. "Oh, hi Katrina. We weren't—how long have you been there?"</p><p>"I heard Chambers went home for the day," Harry said, as they reached the bottom of the hill. "Shame Snape was the one to catch him. He'd chew off his arm before giving a Gryffindor points they deserved."</p><p>Katrina frowned at him. "I'm not proud of it. How would you have reacted if Sirius was arrested and it was connected to what Malfoy and Snape said? You'd rather go after a student than a professor. Hopefully, his father doesn't go to prison."</p><p>"Who knows? The Ministry's not exactly listening to reason," said Ron, uneasily. "They'll use him as an example. Fall in line or it's straight to Azkaban."</p><p>Grubby-Plank was standing by a trestle table laden with wiggling twigs. Katrina recognized them as bowtruckles, tree-dwelling creatures that used their stick-like appearance as camouflage. Pansy's high-pitched shrieks pierced the misty air. The Slytherins strode towards the cabin, sniggering at a joke told by Draco and briefly glimpsing over at Harry and Katrina. She elbowed Harry in the ribs, to prevent him from casting a hex.</p><p>"Everyone here?" barked Grubbly-Plank, the Slytherins hiding their sniggers. "Let's crack on then. Who can tell me what these things are called?"</p><p>As Hermione raised her hand, Malfoy imitated her with a rude buck-toothed impression, hopping up and down. The bowtruckles leapt, causing Pansy's giggle to turn into a scream.</p><p>"Ooooh!" chorused Parvati and Lavender.</p><p>Grubbly-Plank shushed them. "Miss Granger?" Hermione correctly identified the creatures. "Five points for Gryffindor. Yes, these are bow truckles and, as Miss Granger rightly says, they generally live in trees whose wand is of wand quality. Anybody know what they eat?"</p><p>"Wood lice or fairy eggs," answered Katrina.</p><p>"Good girl. Another five points to Gryffindor, Miss Potter," she said, scattering wood lice on the table.</p><p>Grubbly-Plank beckoned the class forward, assigning them to break into small groups and sketch a bowtruckle. Instead of the table, Harry circled to the back, asking her about Hagrid. Brushing off his concerns, she assisted Lavender with grabbing a bowtruckle.</p><p>"I know what you're going to say," he grumbled to Katrina. "But I'm worried about him. She probably has no idea but it was worth a shot."</p><p>Draco leaned across the table, seizing the largest bowtruckle. "Maybe the stupid oaf's got himself badly injured."</p><p>"Maybe you will if you don't shut up," said Harry, through the side of his mouth.</p><p>"Maybe he's been messing with stuff that's too big for him, if you get my drift." His smirk widened. "You're welcome to join my group, Katrina."</p><p>"Don't," she whispered.</p><p>She cast a shield charm over the pocket of Harry's robes, before he could take out his wand. Satisfied with angering her brother, Draco returned to his friends sitting under the shade of an oak tree. Pansy scooted over to him, practically on his lap. With an imploring look from Katrina, Harry grumpily followed her over to Ron and Hermione, who were having issues with a restless bowtruckle. Katrina cast a freezing charm, allowing them to begin their sketches, and Harry, schoolwork the last thing on his mind, relayed Draco's taunts to his best friends. Hermione believed that Draco was toying with Harry to get under his skin.</p><p>"It doesn't take a genius to notice that Hagrid's missing," said Katrina, drawing the bowtruckle's limbs on her parchment. "He's as right as the fake seers down in New Orleans who say the worst possible thing to get more money out of tourists."</p><p>Harry picked up the bowtruckle, facing it towards Hermione. "But he <em>could</em> know something. The Order likes to keep us in the dark but who says it's the same for death eaters and their kids? The ones who are of age could be privy to Voldemort's plans."</p><p>His paranoia was exacerbated by Draco continuing to mock Hagrid. Fully aware that Harry could hear him, he bragged about his father's ties to Fudge and the Ministry's hopes of rectifying substandard teaching at Hogwarts, implying that Hagrid, or that overgrown moron in his words, would be fired from his position. Harry unintentionally squeezed the bowtruckle and the creature swiped at his hand with its sharp fingers, running off to the forest.</p><p>As the Slytherins laughed, Hermione handed him a handkerchief for his wound. Katrina dug her wand tip into the dirt and twirled it counterclockwise. The bowtruckle zoomed out of the forest, falling into its original spot.</p><p>"How did you do that?" asked Ron, in awe.</p><p>Katrina slipped her wand into her robes. "It's like an advanced summoning charm. It's useful if you can't see the object."</p><p>At the end of the lesson, they handed in their labeled sketches to Grubbly-Plank and headed to the greenhouses for Herbology. Harry was still bitter over Draco's insults about Hagrid, goaded by the whispering Slytherins.</p><p>Hermione was trying to keep her composure. "Harry, don't go picking a row with Malfoy. Don't forget he's a prefect now. He could make life difficult for you…"</p><p>"Wow, I wonder what it'd be like to have a difficult life?" he replied, sarcastically.</p><p>"Ten galleons says he cries when that oaf—"</p><p>Fed up, Katrina spun around, not realizing that Draco was inches away from her. He seemed surprised by the sudden move, almost backing into the stringy Theodore Nott.</p><p>"Leave my brother alone," she said, her tone soft yet resolute.</p><p>"Or what, Potter?" spat Pansy, resembling an angry dog. "You think you're so tough because of Chambers? It was a fluke. Walk away before I make you."</p><p>"Such a snippy little chihuahua." Lukas was outside the greenhouses. "Do you need me to conjure up a chew toy, Parkinson?"</p><p>The older boy stood out due to his lack of a Hogwarts uniform, wearing a black leather jacket, a white muscle tee, and black jeans. Based on his attire, Katrina speculated that he had been spying in the muggle world. The muggle and wizarding worlds were not as heavily divided in the United States, meaning the MACUSA aurors and Kane's task force needed to be well-versed in muggle culture. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses but deep down, she knew he was staring at her. She maintained a passive expression while internally screaming at the top of her lungs.</p><p>Lukas approached the Gryffindors and Slytherins, Harry, Hermione, and Ron pretending to not know him like Katrina, though it was easier for them. Draco and his friends appeared to be acquainted with him, not in a good way if their disdainful glares were any indication. Katrina imagined that they had met at the ritzy pureblood gatherings Jace whined about attending with his parents, preferring to spend time with Katrina. Sophie and Lavender were secretly drooling over him.</p><p>"I came here to check up on Miss Potter since MACUSA is very thorough with checking on past cases. Shouldn't you be slithering off to class?" he asked, taking off his sunglasses. "No one wants to hear your bitching."</p><p>"You don't tell us what to do, Carlisle," sneered Draco. "You don't have that kind of power."</p><p>"Course I do but go ahead and test me." He patted his cheek. "A Carlisle trumps a Malfoy any day of the week. Get to class or you'll find yourself being questioned about why you assaulted an auror."</p><p>With a tilt of Draco's head, the Slytherins departed for the castle. Katrina wished she had a mental connection with Harry, to beg him to stay with her.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" she hissed, once the Gryffindors were a considerable distance down the path. "I'll tell Kane."</p><p>Lukas placed his hand over his chest. "So quick to judgement, Kitty Cat. You think so horribly of me. He heard about your mini duel and I chasing a lead in Dufftown so I offered to come since he's tied up in meetings with Fudge and Kowalski. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to peek inside my head though my sexy schoolgirl fantasies of you pale in comparison to the real deal."<br/>"You're a pig." As he stepped closer, she stepped back. "Leave or I'll talk to Kane myself about your lack of boundaries and how you attacked Jace."</p><p>"Snape told me you got hit with residual magic." Her stern glare faltered, making him smirk in response. "I bet it felt great. Pity he took it away. You must've been really happy when my uncle had you torture Andrews."</p><p>"Who's that?" she asked, playing dumb.</p><p>"Don't be coy. Alaric scrambled his brains with a memory charm but in his sleep, Andrews was crying about his skin turning grey and being so tired," he said, pouting. "It's like a game to my uncle. Give you something good then snatch it before you can enjoy it. You're wasting your time here. I can give you what you want."</p><p>She pointed her wand at him. "I don't want anything from you."</p><p>"Soon, you'll take me up on my offer. You'll be begging me to take you away from this place…to let me give you everything you're craving…but until you admit it to yourself, I'll let you go." He straightened his jacket, a new tattoo partially visible on his wrist. "Wouldn't want you to miss out on playing with plants. Be careful with your pillows though, Kitty Cat. You can only burn through so many before you get caught."</p><p>Katrina entered the greenhouse in the midst of Professor Sprout's lecture on OWLs. All the noise around her sounded twice as loud, like it was being shouted into her ear. Sprout's voice mixed with the thumping of Katrina's heartbeat. How could Lukas have known about her burning her pillow? It was possible that he used her two-way mirror as a spying tool but it would not allow him to see through her bag.</p><p>"You should put on your gloves." The blonde girl beside her smiled, dropping a snippet of self-fertilizing shrub onto her tray. "I'm Hannah. My cousin Jace is the one who rescued you. Technically, we're step cousins but who cares about that? He said he told you about me so you'd know at least one person besides your brother."</p><p>Katrina slipped on her dragon-hide gloves. "He did. I feel like I've known you my whole life already."</p><p>As they worked on the shrubs, avoiding its sharp teeth, she and Hannah spoke quietly, the kind blonde introducing her to other Hufflepuffs in the class. The sorting hat's conflict over where to sort Katrina made sense the more she got to know the Hufflepuffs. Katrina would not have been offended if the sorting hat chose differently, despite the disparaging it received from the other houses. Ernie Macmillan, a stout, rather pompous boy, emphatically declared his support for Harry and Dumbledore, praising her for standing up to Liam.</p><p>"So…" said Sophie, waiting behind her in the line for the sink. "Is that auror going to stop by again?"</p><p>Fay rolled her eyes. "He was here to do his job, not flirt, Soph. I <em>did</em> enjoy him slapping around Malfoy."</p><p>The mention of Lukas renewed Katrina's anxiety. Her hands quivering inside her robes, she tensed at a wilting flitterbloom, its tentacles falling over the side of its pot. In a split second, the entire class and Professor Sprout collapsed to the floor and Katrina was subsequently hit by a massive energy. Gazing at the plants around the room, she cast a hex at a pot containing valerians, the flowers emitting a pink dust, and mimed her classmates.</p><p>"Katrina!" she heard moments later.</p><p>Feigning waking up from a sudden nap, she sat up to see Roger kneeled beside her. He stopped himself from reaching for her when she flinched, an unintentional part of her act.</p><p>"W—what happened?" she asked, the magic coursing through her veins.</p><p>"Someone must've bumped into the valerians. They release a sleeping powder as a defense mechanism." The craving within her reminded her of the encounter with Andrews. "They'll start coming around. See?"</p><p>As Roger tended to Professor Sprout and the students slowly stirring, she sneaked out of the greenhouse. "He's not right. Don't let him be right," she whispered, hastily mixing her golden powder in a vial with water squirting out of her wand tip. "I can do this."</p><p>Katrina downed the mixture, stashing the vial into her bag, at the sound of a door creaking open. Students dizzily stumbled out of the greenhouse, some rubbing their heads.</p><p>Harry hurried over to her. "Do you need to go to the hospital wing? At least sit—"</p><p>"I'm okay," she said, taking her bag from him. "I didn't get a full blast. You should get something to eat before your detention. Roger asked if I wanted to watch his quidditch tryouts."</p><p>"Wh—Davies?" Roger was helping Professor Sprout out of the greenhouse. "You're not in Ravenclaw! Why would you go? It could be a trap. He's friends with Chambers."</p><p>"Roger tried to stop it," she pointed out. "He thought the Slytherins might want to finish what Liam started and he's Head Boy so they wouldn't risk attacking me around him."</p><p>Harry scoffed. "Oh please, that's the best he could come up with? He doesn't care about your safety. He wants to—he's—he obviously likes you in a…more than friendly way."</p><p>"I've known him for two days," she said, thinking he suffered a concussion.</p><p>"It doesn't matter," he muttered. "What, do American boys have a specific time frame before they can shove their tongues down a girl's throat?"</p><p>Katrina smacked his arm with her bag. Stomping past a stunned Ron and Hermione, she followed Roger to the quidditch pitch where he set up for the tryouts. More people approached the pitch, either part of the team or hoping to become its newest member. Katrina sat in the stands, along with Cho, dabbing at her bloodshot eyes with a tissue, and a dozen other girls, Katrina recognizing some from her earlier conversation with Roger.</p><p>Watching the tryouts distracted her from the disaster in Herbology. Though she wanted to blame it on Lukas, questioning if he had hexed her when she passed him, she knew it was not that simple. Her internal battle led her to decide to speak with Dumbledore after the tryouts. Waving back at Roger, who was observing prospective keepers, she felt a searing pain in her temple. It was a pain she experienced in the past, when Kane was teaching her about occlumency and legilimency.</p><p>Fighting against the unseen intruder, she closed her eyes, the darkness replaced with the scenery of her bedroom. Katrina saw her younger self, about four years old, sitting on the floor with a dark-haired teenage boy. He removed her pink gloves and opened a purple jewelry box, pulling out a remembrall. Just as he instructed her to touch it, the door slammed open and a furious Kane separated them with his wand, dragging the boy out of the room. Her bedroom vanished as she opened her eyes, her invisible assailant abandoning their pursuit.</p><p>"Katrina?" Cho had moved from the upper rows of the stands. "Are you feeling all right?"</p><p>"J—just a bit cold," she lied.</p><p>Returning her attention to the players zipping above her, she wondered about the identity of the boy in the memory and why he was attempting to get inside her head.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! :)</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Friend or Foe?</h2></a>
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    <p>"You're free to take one, if you like." Dumbledore tipped the bowl of sherbet lemons towards her. "Professor McGonagall believes they aren't healthy but I find that they ease my nerves now and then and I do have a sweet tooth."</p><p>Katrina kept her head down, the same position she had been in for the past fifteen minutes. It required little effort to obtain the password from Roger at the end of the tryouts. After announcing his picks for keeper and beaters, Finn musing that a fourth year girl was a talented seeker in a subtle dig at Cho, he beckoned Katrina from the stands, waiting for the pitch to clear before broaching the subject of flying lessons. Using the excuse of a forgotten meeting with Dumbledore to discuss how she was adjusting to the school, she was able to find the location of his office and avoid the chance of touching a broom.</p><p>When she entered the circular room, the elderly headmaster was tinkering with a deluminator. Katrina's planned speech was sapped from her brain the moment their eyes met, leading her to sit in front of his desk in total silence under the inquisitive stares of the portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses that hung on the walls.</p><p>"Something's wrong with me," she said, fiddling with her mother's necklace. "I can't be around people."</p><p>He clasped his hands on top of the desk. "What's sparked this dour epiphany? Are you experiencing issues with your classmates?"</p><p>Katrina unloaded the events of the past two days, from her burnt pillow to accidentally draining her Herbology class and Professor Sprout, in a single breath, a heavy weight lifted from her chest. Dumbledore did not visibly react, instead scribbling on a scrap of parchment that vanished into thin air. Seconds later, the flames in his fireplace turned acid green and Kane emerged, brushing soot from his sleeves. Seeing a distraught Katrina, his assumption was that she had another run-in with Liam until Dumbledore relayed her words prior to his arrival.</p><p>"There is nothing wrong with you," stated Kane, preferring blunt words over a consoling hug or pat on the back. "That powder was never a permanent solution, Katrina. The fact that it's lasted over the years is a testament to your control but your abilities are constantly growing. I can strengthen the enchantment on your gloves while I devise a better method."</p><p>"It seems to stem from bouts of stress. Perhaps Severus can brew a draught to mitigate that," proposed Dumbledore. "Is there anything else on your mind?"</p><p>"I was at the quidditch pitch watching the Ravenclaw team tryouts and someone tried to use legilimency on me," she confessed. "I fought back and I saw a memory. It was of my younger self in the manor with this boy. He took off my gloves and then Kane interrupted and dragged him out."</p><p>Dumbledore and Kane shared a quick glance. Her guardian rarely showed emotion but a brief unease flickered across his bearded face. Katrina half expected her concerns to be dismissed, a figment of her imagination from her anxiety over the accident in Herbology. Kane, never one to shy away from tough conversations, explained that the boy was a former member of the task force named Cayden. During the first wizarding war, Cayden's parents were murdered by death eaters at their home in Bristol and having no other known family, Kane offered to care for him until he was of age. Though he excelled in Kane's training, his desire to be the best conflicted with group missions.</p><p>His inability to work with the team led Kane to sideline him, keeping him in the manor. Cayden trained tirelessly to prove his worth, searching for ways to push the boundaries of magic. When Katrina was brought to the manor, he eavesdropped on a meeting with Kane and his top team members learning of her siphon ability. Never allowed to be alone with her for his own safety, he sneaked up to her bedroom whenever Kane was out on business and after several attempts, he broke through the protective enchantments and experimented with her magic.</p><p>Catching him in the act, the same memory she witnessed on the quidditch pitch, Kane kept him in a blocked off wing of the manor. He was forced to bring him back on the team when the British Ministry had a lead on the whereabouts of rogue death eaters eager to take up Voldemort's mantle, wanting his superior members to aid in the pursuit. In the ensuing fight, Cayden was killed by a death eater, one of several casualties on both sides.</p><p>"I saw the body myself, Albus. He's dead," said Kane, definitively.</p><p>"The same was thought of Voldemort," replied Dumbledore. He rose from his desk. "We cannot rule anything out. It would explain how his death eaters have been evading your team. Cayden knows your task force inside and out. Surely you can agree that it's not coincidence that his reappearance aligns with Katrina being out in the open."</p><p>"D—do you think he told Voldemort the truth about me?" asked Katrina, worried.</p><p>"According to Severus, he's made no indication of knowing. Cayden may be holding some secrets close to the vest, as it were…for his purposes." His wrinkled fingers ran through his silvery beard. "What that is, I am not sure of yet but it likely involves you, Katrina. We will get to the bottom of this."</p><p>"I could get in his head again," she offered. "Maybe—"</p><p>"No." She looked at a pensive Kane. "You'll leave him to us, if this was his doing. Don't you have homework to do?"</p><p>He waved his wand over her gloves, fortifying the enchantment. Returning to the common room, she sat at a table where Sophie, Fay, and Hermione were among those working on their assignments. Harry was not the only one missing from the packed common room, serving his detention with Umbridge, and upon Katrina mentioning Ron's absence, Hermione theorized that he was aiding Fred, George, and Lee with testing their inventions in a secret location to evade a verbal lashing.</p><p>Opening her Herbology textbook, she heard a squealing noise like a tiny mouse. It was coming from Sophie, who was rhythmically tapping her foot on the floor.</p><p>"How did it go with Roger?" asked Sophie, oblivious to her quill piercing her parchment.</p><p>Katrina was puzzled by her excitement. "He filled the positions he needed so I guess it went well. It was hard to pay attention with all the girls cheering for him from the stands."</p><p>"Who wouldn't? He's so handsome," she said, dreamily. "When we had the Yule Ball last year, tons of girls wanted to ask him but he ended up going with the Beauxbatons champion. There was a rumor that she was part veela so who could blame him? They're not dating now. He is completely single."</p><p>"I know what you're implying but can you not say that stuff around Harry?" begged Katrina. "He was freaking out over me watching the tryouts. Nothing is going on between me and Roger."</p><p>She poked Katrina's arm with her quill. "For now…"</p><p>The rest of the week passed without a major incident. Katrina continued with her morning routine, Harry too tired to accompany her thanks to Umbridge keeping him in detention until nearly midnight but covering for her if someone questioned her early strolls, a needed release for her frustrations over Lukas and a certain blonde Slytherin. Draco was climbing up her list of people she despised, rivaling Lukas's hard-earned top spot which was not a small feat.</p><p>Contrary to Lukas's overt advances, Draco was sly, using any opportunity to stand near her during shared lessons and masking compliments to her under the guise of irking her brother. He seemed incapable of understanding that she had no interest in befriending him, aware that he had an incentive behind his actions. For all his overtures of kindness, it was a fancy ploy to procure information for Voldemort. A deterrent she discovered was Roger, with Draco abandoning his ill-devised schemes when he saw him around her, possibly due to his Head Boy status.</p><p>While it scared off her secret tormentor, it gave the Gryffindor girls ammunition for their 'Katrina dating Roger Davies' campaign, Sophie and Parvati dissolving into giggles if he glanced over at her during meals. Harry was not as amused by their burgeoning friendship, though he did not have time to berate her between lessons and detentions. Back in the common room at midnight and sometimes later, he would not say much about the long hours in Umbridge's office, beyond claiming that he wrote lines as punishment for his 'nasty, attention-seeking stories'.</p><p>If there was one thing she missed about her sheltered life, it was privacy. She could not leave a room without her friends offering to join her, under the impression that she would crumble without another person by her side. The downfall of her kidnapping tale was that everyone, even the professors, treated her like a fragile, porcelain doll. In the moments she had to herself, she sat in the library under the pretense of doing homework but in actuality, she was finding out more about Cayden.</p><p>Kane remained adamant about his death, believing that Katrina had unlocked her memory of the encounter while combating against her attacker's occlumency. Unable to assist with his investigation, she combed through books in the history section related to the events of the first wizarding war.</p><p>An unusually pleased Harry strolled into the Great Hall and sat next to Katrina. "I sent your letter to Lupin with Hedwig," he whispered. He watched her finish her glass of water of orange juice in one sip. "Why are you in a ru—don't tell me you're going to the library again. You can't still have homework. It's a nice day outside. Why are you holing yourself up in there?"</p><p>Katrina was saved from answering by the morning owls swooping past to deliver mail. As she did every morning, Hermione paid the owl delivering the <em>Daily Prophet</em> and disappeared behind its pages. Harry was about to take a bite of his eggs when she mumbled about Sirius in an anguished whisper. He snatched at the newspaper so violently that it tore in half and Hermione shifted closer to Ron, placing the split halves on the table. An article noted that the Ministry received a tip on Sirius being spotted in London. Harry was convinced that the alleged tip was from Mr. Malfoy, who could have recognized Sirius's animagus form on the platform.</p><p>Flattening his half of the newspaper, he read the blurb glumly. "They won't find him," assured Katrina. "He wouldn't go outside, especially not now. Remus wouldn't let him."</p><p>"I hope s—hey, look at this," he said, pointing to the bottom of the page.</p><p>Underneath an advertisement for Madam Malkin's was a brief article detailing the arrest of Sturgis Podmore for trespassing at the Ministry. He was a member of the Order who aided in bringing Harry to Grimmauld Place. Apprehended by a watchwizard for attempting to break into a top-security door at one o'clock in the morning, he had been sentenced to six months in Azkaban. Harry recalled that Podmore was supposed to be part of the guard on the day they boarded the Hogwarts Express, Moody complaining about his tardiness. Ron quietly suggested that he had been lured to the Ministry and falsely accused of a crime to hinder Dumbledore, suspecting Podmore of working with him.</p><p>"I'm going to the library," said Katrina, using the article as a distraction.</p><p>"You're not spending all day in there," asserted Harry. "You're coming with me to quidditch practice later."</p><p>"I will," she conceded.</p><p>"I'll come with you, Katrina," said Sophie, getting up from the table. "Maybe you can help me get past the first sentence of my Transfiguration essay."</p><p>Katrina could not dissuade her without drawing suspicion. As they walked to the library, Sophie gushed over her play petition, planning to meet with McGonagall during lunch. She reasoned it was safer to speak with her head of house before bringing it to Dumbledore. While Katrina helped with her essay, she pretended to be working on an essay on giant wars for History of Magic, already completed the day it had been assigned by Binns.</p><p>Wading through the history section, halting her search to get a book for a frail third year girl, she started from where she left off the day before, opening a book exclusively on the war, skimming the pages of casualties. Beneath each name was the location and cause of death, along with details about the victims and in some cases, a newspaper clipping.</p><p>Startled by a familiar cough ("Hem, hem"), Katrina altered the cover to one pertaining to giants. She turned around to Umbridge at the end of the shelves, wearing that insincere wide smile.</p><p>"Good morning, professor," she said, courteously.</p><p>"I thought I might find you here, Miss Potter. How refreshing to see a student who cares about her studies. The education of your peers has been staggered, to put it lightly, and I don't want you to experience such failings." It was a retread of her speech in Defense Against the Dark Arts, belittling the previous professors. "With all you've been through, a proper education is of the utmost importance. With that said, I think it would be beneficial for you to have a trusted classmate…a mentor, as if were…"</p><p>Umbridge gestured to someone hidden by the shelves. As Katrina was about to protest, by bringing up her summer tutoring sessions with Snape, her confusion became dread at Draco appearing beside the squat professor. Adopting a tone of admiration, Umbridge waxed on about his impressive grades, deeming him top of their class despite that honor obviously belonging to Hermione and an upstanding student. It was a testament to her strength that Katrina listened to those blatant lies with the utmost politeness.</p><p>"Hermione's top of the class," she said, matter-of-factly, as Umbridge left the library.</p><p>"If you go by our substandard curriculum, maybe," he replied, leaning against the shelf of 19th century history books. "The Ministry is seeking to correct that. Professor Umbridge wants you to succeed, Katrina. It's not like I went to her with concerns that your housemates weren't providing you with a conducive learning environment and offered my services."</p><p>"No, that would be mental." Draco smirked at her pointed retort. "I'm doing fine in my lessons."</p><p>He followed her down the History section. "Umbridge tasked me with giving her weekly reports on your progress. It would be a shame if I had to tell her that you're doing poorly and you're as unstable as your brother. What would she say if she heard that you were hexing students to do your work for you? Bullying your classmates is no laughing matter."</p><p>"You want to waste your time? Be my guest," she said, refusing to fall for his tricks. "Whatever you're after, you won't get it from me."</p><p>"The pleasure of your company is enough." His eyes passed over her short houndstooth skirt. "And I certainly don't object to the view."</p><p>The pseudo-charming advances ceased as she returned to her table with Sophie. They barely acknowledged each other, aside from spitting out their surnames with pure venom. Learning about him being her 'mentor', Sophie accused him of using Katrina in his rivalry against Harry, mocking Umbridge's outlandish declarations of him being a perfect student.</p><p>His nostrils flared at her insult about never beating Hermione in an exam. "Who asked you, you filthy mu—" He furtively glanced at Katrina, who had stopped flipping through the history book. "Shut it, Roper. Grades are subjective. They mean nothing to a real wizard."</p><p>"Well, Mr. Real Wizard, as fun as it is to be subjected to your pureblood supremacy drivel, I have somewhere to be," said Sophie, putting away her finished essay and Transfiguration book. "I'd ask you to come, Katrina, but the ferret over here will go crying to Umbridge then. My condolences to your sanity."</p><p>The scene in the library was reminiscent of when he previously invaded her privacy in the very same room. Draco resorted to his tried and true method of tapping his fingers on the table, increasing its tempo the longer she avoided talking to him. She maintained her silence when he rightly addressed her constant trips to the library, casting doubt on her unfinished homework. With Harry and now Draco questioning her, she realized she needed a better excuse for the future visits.</p><p>"I can read," she replied, to his offer of deciphering a page.</p><p>Feeling him inch closer, she blocked the book's contents with her bag. "Granger's a miracle worker, teaching you to read overnight."</p><p>"I know everyone thinks I spent my life chained up in complete darkness but wouldn't having me barely alive and uneducated be counterintuitive to my kidnapper's whole plan?" The list of deaths in 1974 was replaced with a fake passage on famous giants. "Are you equally shocked that I can use a fork without poking myself in the eye?"</p><p>He rested his chin against his head, entertained by her wit. "And did he teach you how to duel? There are theories going around. That Snape actually cast the spell, that your pal Davies did it, that it was you but your kidnapping story doesn't add up…care to share? It'll be our secret."</p><p>"It was basic instinct." Getting up from the table, she mimed an explosion around her head. "If you want to gossip about conspiracy theories, you should be with your friends who spend all their time calling my brother insane."</p><p>Stopping by Madam Pince's desk, she checked out the history book, sandwiched between others, the vulturelike librarian giving her strict instructions on returning the books in pristine condition while placing a blood red stamp on their inside covers. Katrina walked towards the quidditch pitch, to keep her promise, where Harry and Ron were heading into the Gryffindor changing rooms.</p><p>A bad feeling in her gut, she decided to tell Harry about his rival being foisted upon her as a mentor by a potentially well-meaning or scheming Umbridge. Being upfront would lessen his reaction to Draco being around her, at least in Katrina's mind. As she neared the room, she held her hand over her eyes, not wanting to see something inappropriate.</p><p>A chuckle caught her attention. "We're all decent."</p><p>The entire team, except for Angelina, was in the room, pulling on their quidditch robes. Ron looked visibly ill, his face a pale shade of green. The reason for his late night absences had been explained when it was revealed that he was Gryffindor's new keeper. His solo excursions were for him to practice his skills before the tryouts. Fred and George openly admitted to Fay, who had been hoping for the same position until her father prohibited her from attending the tryouts, that he was not the best candidate, commenting on his spotty performance.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Harry asked her, stepping away from the team. "You look like you swallowed poison."</p><p>"Umbridge spoke to me in the library. She wants me to have a mentor to help me…" she said, preparing herself for his reaction. "She picked Malfoy."</p><p>"Mal—she's full of it, Katrina," he hissed, stifling his anger. "It's some plot she made with Fudge to spy on both of us. I'm not leaving you alone with that prat. Merlin knows what he's got up his sleeve. What if it doesn't have to do with the Ministry? I never told you what happened last night."</p><p>At the end of his final detention, Umbridge touched his arm and a simultaneous pain seared through his scar. Despite Hermione's reasonable explanation that it was a coincidence, he wondered if Voldemort was possessing Umbridge as he had done with their first year Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He rebuffed Katrina's suggestion of telling Dumbledore, muttering that he had more important matters to deal with besides a fleeting pain that could be attributed to something insignificant.</p><p>As he scratched the side of his nose, she noticed an odd cut on the back of his hand. Harry began to slip it into his pocket but Katrina grabbed it, gazing at the words etched into his skin: I must not tell lies. Writing lines was a kind way of describing what he endured in Umbridge's detentions. Using an enchanted quill, he wrote those exact words, the sentence carved in his skin and onto the parchment.</p><p>"I'm not going to Dumbledore," he said, reading her mind. "It was my last detention. I think it'll go away and I'm not giving that toad the satisfaction of getting to me."</p><p>"But it's dark magic. It can't be allowed," she reasoned. Against her finer judgement, she rolled up her sleeve. "Give me your hand."</p><p>Katrina removed a glove and aimed her wand at the cut. Pretending to cast a healing charm, she gripped his hand, biting the inside of her cheek to conceal her pain. The cut vanished within seconds and sticking her wand in her bag, she put her glove back on, her fingertips glowing red.</p><p>"Thanks," he said, grateful yet unaware of what healed him.</p><p>Exiting the changing room, she took a sip of her potion to absorb the magic. Fay and Sophie were already seated in the stands. Sophie's meeting with McGonagall had gone well, with the promise of setting up a discussion with Dumbledore, though Fay teased McGonagall only agreed with Sophie to end any artsy talk. As Sophie rambled on about potential play ideas, her voice was drowned out by a series of cackles. Draco climbed up the stands with Crabbe, Goyle, Theodore, Pansy and her clique, and a handful of older Slytherins, including those on the Slytherin quidditch team.</p><p>"Don't you snakes have anything better to do?" asked Fay, her mood souring at the sight of them.</p><p>"Are you offering, Dunbar?" One of the seventh year boys, who Draco referred to as Pucey, eyed her up and down. "You look somewhat decent this year so I'd be into it."</p><p>"He's trying to get a rise out of you. Don't let him," Katrina whispered to a seething Fay.</p><p>Making the situation worse, the Slytherins stood directly behind the three girls. Katrina opened the history book, casting a charm to reflect different contents to anyone but her, flipping back to the list of casualties. Reading through the vast list, she listened to Pansy's taunts about Hermione rubbing off on her ("She's such a loser.") and the jeers from the boys about the Gryffindor team. Peeping a flash of red from the corner of her eye, she assumed that the team was out on the pitch.</p><p>"Grow up," mumbled Sophie, disgusted by Draco's insult of Ron's broom.</p><p>The Slytherins did not let up as the team practiced by tossing around a quaffle, roaring with laughter each time Ron failed to catch the round red ball. It was hard to counter their jeers with support when they were greatly outnumbered.</p><p>Towards the bottom of the current page, Katrina found a possible match: a Bristol couple murdered in December 1974, their young son the sole survivor of the attack. A light sensation tapped Katrina's back, which she guessed to be Draco. Keeping her eyes on the book, she flipped to the corresponding <em>Daily Prophet </em>article. Above the opening paragraph was a photo of a couple in their late twenties on a porch. Their house was small, quaint, and in need of a few repairs and based on his sunken face and thinning dark hair, the man appeared to be ill. A young boy was sitting on the top step, his features similar to the boy in her memory.</p><p>
  <strong>BRISTOL FAMILY TORN APART</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Rufus Scrimgeur, a well-regarded auror and potential successor as head of the office, announced early this morning the deaths of Nathan and Amara Coller. The aurors, along with a special team of MACUSA aurors led by the revered Kane Carlisle, arrived to find their home ablaze, a Dark Mark looming over the ominous scene. The couple, survived by their six year old son Cayden, was pronounced dead shortly after, both victims of the killing curse. The family was described as reclusive and private by their neighbors, who were unaware of their tragic history. Coller was the name adopted by the patriarch after becoming estranged from his family, particularly his younger brother Andrew Davies, a respected employee in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. No definitive explanation has been given for the separation but rumor has it that Nathan's relatives were not supportive of his relationship with Amara Santos, the two lovebirds eloping after a brief courtship. Likewise, the reason for the targets on their backs, whether it was intentional or random, and the whereabouts of their son Cayden are being kept under wraps. Andrew and his wife Nancy have not yet commented on the situation. Details on the case to follow as we learn more about the attack.</em>
</p><p>Katrina read the article a dozen times, checking for a mistake. Hadn't Kane said Cayden had no known relatives? Was Roger aware of his existence or even his death?</p><p>"Hey, Potter, how's your scar feeling?" called Draco. "Sure you don't need a lie-down? It must be what, a whole week since you were in the hospital wing. That's a record for you, isn't it?"</p><p>"Oh no, did we upset you, Potter?" teased Pansy, as Katrina sidled down the row. "Do you need your blankie?"</p><p>"Shut up, you pug!" shouted Fay, igniting a spat between the two girls.</p><p>As they argued ("Dumb-bar? So original."), Katrina left the stands and hid behind a wooden pillar. She grabbed her two-way mirror, writing <em>You lied about his family</em> on the glass.</p><p>"You're not running off because of me, are you?" Draco saw the mirror in her hand. "Did Carlisle give you that so he could come riding in on a horse like some brave knight? You're not the first girl he's used that on, you know. It's his patented move. Come save the poor damsel in distress and all that rub—"</p><p>He stopped mid-insult at her glare. "That's exactly how <em>you</em> see me, isn't it? You honestly think you're clever? Well you're not," she snapped. "I see right through you and this game of yours. I may have been shut away from the world but it doesn't mean I'm naive. The man who kidnapped me told all about the people he used to associate with, like your father. I know the kind of person he is and who he roots for and why you're so intent on getting to know me. I may be a so-called damsel and there may be times where I find myself in distress but I'm perfectly capable of saving myself. I don't need a knight in shining armor. Not Lukas, not my brother, and definitely not a spineless prat like you."</p><p>For all of Kane's grousing over Harry's hotheaded nature, Katrina was beginning to understand why he had such a short fuse. Anyone who had to deal with constant harassment from people stuck in a childish mindset would explode once in awhile. An irked Katrina climbed through the portrait hole of the Gryffindor common room and sank into an armchair beside Hermione, a rune dictionary open on her lap.</p><p>"Is practice over?" she asked Katrina, scribbling under a triangular symbol.</p><p>Katrina shook her head. "I left early. The Slytherins were being their usual selves and you can only listen to Malfoy bully Harry so much before you want to hex his mouth off. How do you deal with it?"</p><p>"After five years, it's sort of white noise." She closed her book. "It's gotten harder now that it's grown to more than half the school believing that we're as crazy for supporting Harry. Is this just about Malfoy? You're not worried about Liam Chambers, are you? Professor Flitwick informed Harry this morning that he's been ordered to keep his distance and Ginny heard from Michael Corner that his father's out of Azkaban."</p><p>A light shined from inside her bag. "No. I'm going to lie down for a bit."</p><p>Entering her room, she locked the door and pulled out the mirror. Instead of a message, Kane's face was visible.</p><p>"What did I tell you in Dumbledore's office?" he said, winding up for a lecture. "Was I not clear? Whether or not Cayden is alive is not your problem. Why were you digging into his past?"</p><p>"He tried to get in my head so in a way, I'm involved," she argued, with little confidence. "You lied about him having no family. I'm friends with his cousin. Did they not want him after his parents died?"</p><p>He sighed. "His parents were targeted and I took him in for his protection. When Voldemort was defeated, I arranged for him to stay with his aunt and uncle but he had a negative opinion of them from his parents and preferred to remain distant. I visited them after his death."</p><p>Shadows passed the underside of the door. "His cousin is a student here," she said, quietly. Shouldn't I warn—"</p><p>"You will not say a word," he warned. "It is classified and given the family's history, there's a high probability that this boy has no idea who he is, Katrina. With the added security on the castle, your attacker will be unsuccessful if they try their occlumency again. As a precaution, you'll perform your breathing exercises in the morning and before bed. I trust you're on top of your training drills."</p><p>"As best as I can." She sat on her bed. "It's tough when there are so many people around. I can hardly leave a room without someone wanting to tag along or Lucius Malfoy's son being my shadow."</p><p>"Jace enlightened me on that. Let him," advised Kane. "If he's anything like his father, he's not a threat. You let him in but stay one step ahead. If you learn anything of importance, you'll tell me."</p><p>When Kane had a plan, it was not up for debate. Katrina wished the opposite was true, not thrilled by the prospect of allowing Draco to get closer to her, let alone playing into his twisted game of becoming her friend.</p><p>To push off enacting the plan, Katrina was unable to visit the library the next day, to continue her Cayden investigation. Though Kane opposed her involvement, his words of warning did not discourage her, any information she gathered potentially useful to prove or disprove his death. After her training session, narrowly being caught by Roger and his teammates, she spent all of Sunday with Harry, Ron, and their massive pile of homework, both boys spending the week in detention or practicing for quidditch tryouts. Hermione rebuffed them with a 'you deserve it' attitude, leading them to beg Katrina for help. Ron was fully concentrated on his work, preferring a dream diary to the quidditch pitch and the Slytherins chanting Gryffindors are losers.</p><p>Katrina welcomed the opportunity to see Draco as little as possible. By eleven o'clock, they were on their final assignment, an essay about Jupiter's moons. Whenever either was about to fall asleep, Purrsephone pawed at their feet or hopped into their laps.</p><p>"From now on, don't wait until the last minute," she said, correcting Harry's sentence on Callisto.</p><p>"I've been busy having my hand sliced open every night," he mumbled. "I didn't let it pile up on purp—"</p><p>His retort was cut short by Hermione pointing to the nearest window, a handsome screech owl standing on the windowsill. The owl, named Hermes, belonged to Ron's older brother Percy, a supporter of the Ministry and recently promoted to being junior assistant to the Minister for Magic. The promotion caused tension in the Weasley family, his parents deducing that it was Fudge's strategy to spy on those he deemed traitorous for their ties to Dumbledore, and Percy ended up cutting all ties to his family.</p><p>A bewildered Ron opened the window, removing the letter tied around its leg. Sitting in his armchair, he read the extensive letter, his confused expression twisting into one of disgust, then thrusted it at Harry, Hermione, and Katrina. The letter started innocent enough, congratulating Ron on becoming a prefect, then veered into rhetoric comparable to the <em>Daily Prophet</em>. Percy recommended that Ron end his friendship with Harry, calling him violent and unbalanced and associating with him would be bad for his future after Hogwarts.</p><p>Aside from bashing Harry and Dumbledore, he praised Umbridge as a delightful woman who was striving to make necessary changes to the school, imploring Ron to aid her, slighted his parents for defending Dumbledore despite his relation to 'petty criminals' like Sturgis Podmore, and deemed Katrina a mentally ill, savage child, with a questionable story, being groomed into a new puppet for Dumbledore's insidious agenda. In regards to Katrina, he alluded to the Ministry not believing her story, unnamed Ministry officials convinced that she was a stranger under polyjuice potion.</p><p>"Well, if you want to—er—what is it?" Harry checked the letter. "Oh yeah—'sever ties' with me, I swear I won't get violent."</p><p>"And I won't try to bite off your nose if you get too close," said Katrina, reading the section about her. "You can write him back that I don't eat meat so you're safe."</p><p>Ron tore up the letter and tossed the pieces into the fireplace. Hermione, looking proud of him for not buying into Percy's words, offered to fix his essay. A silent Harry was in his armchair, letting Purrsephone climb up his shirt, as Hermione told Ron what to write, passing him a parchment covered in her own writing.</p><p>"They're just words," whispered Katrina. "Don't let them affect you. Eventually, the Ministry will realize they were wrong. Harry?"</p><p>Sliding off the chair, Purrsephone perched on his shoulder, he crouched down on his knees by the fireplace. In the middle of the dancing flames was Sirius's head, his long dark hair falling around his face. He had been popping into the fireplace every hour, hoping to find them alone, unconcerned with being seen by another student. Knowing they were on limited time, he talked with Harry about his scar, blaming it on Voldemort's presence, and the discussion shifted to Umbridge. Though he never met her, he was aware of her nasty reputation and prejudice against halfbreeds evident by the legislation she drafted over the years. It was thanks to Umbridge that Remus struggled to find a proper job.</p><p>"Sirius!" said Hermione reproachfully, when he joked that Umbridge should be persecuting beings like Kreacher. "Honestly, if you made a bit of an effort with Kreacher, I'm sure he'd respond. After all, you are the only member of his family he's got left and Professor Dumbledore said—"</p><p>"So what are Umbridge's lessons like?" interrupted Sirius. "Is she training you to kill half-breeds?"</p><p>"Not unless we're boring them to death with a book," said Katrina. He grinned at her comment. "She's having us read one that might as well have been written by a muggle."</p><p>"She's not letting us use magic at all!" exclaimed Harry.</p><p>Sirius was not confounded by their claims, revealing that, according to the Order's inside information, Fudge did not want them trained in combat, fearing that Dumbledore was forming a private army to dismantle the Ministry of Magic. In Fudge's delusional mind, Dumbledore wanted his power, his fear-mongering about Voldemort a tool to sway the wizarding world to his side. Katrina listened to Sirius's hasty assurances to Harry, Ron, and Hermione that Hagrid was not in danger, none of them comforted by the fact that he was separated from his traveling companion.</p><p>"How are you doing, Katrina?" he asked, changing to a more lighthearted subject. "I hear from Jace that you've got a Slytherin stalker…"</p><p>"Malfoy," explained Harry, to Ron and Hermione. "Umbridge made up some fake position for him to be her mentor. It's a load of dung."</p><p>"Course it is but Katrina will put him in his place," said Sirius, winking at her. "When's your next Hogsmeade weekend? I was thinking, we got away with the dog disguise at the station, didn't we? I thought I could—"</p><p>"NO!" chorused Harry and Hermione.</p><p>At the mention of the <em>Daily Prophet</em> article about him, he dismissed it as the Ministry grasping at straws. His smile fell as Harry begged him not to risk leaving his home, out of fear that Draco could recognize him and alert someone like Umbridge.</p><p>Sirius looked bitter, a crease between his sunken eyes. "You're less like your father than I thought. The risk would've been what made it fun for James. I'll give Remus your letter when he gets back, Katrina. I'd better get going. I can hear Kreacher coming down the stairs. I'll write to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire then, shall I? If you stand to risk it?"</p><p>He disappeared from the flames with a tiny pop.</p><p>The following morning answered their curiosity over Percy's reference to the <em>Daily Prophet</em> in his letter. A large photograph of Umbridge was splayed out across the front page of the newspaper, announcing her appointment as Hogwarts High Inquisitor. The article detailed the Ministry's mistrust of teachings at Hogwarts, supposedly in response to anxious parents, and how, through new pieces of legislation, Umbridge was chosen as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, a last resort due to no one applying for the job, and received her latest title. Created by Fudge, it entailed Umbridge providing feedback on her fellow professors to fix the school's failing standards.</p><p>News of Umbridge's position spread throughout breakfast and their first lesson of the day, many ignoring Binns's lecture. Katrina did not voice her opinion aloud, too busy dreading Potions. She managed to avoid looking over at the Slytherin table all morning, with the added difficulty of doing the same with the Ravenclaw table. All it would take was one slip for her to bring up Cayden around Roger. As she walked into the Potions classroom, Fay and Sophie were whispering about Umbridge's upcoming inspections, Fay sure that the position had no real meaning.</p><p>Seeing Draco, she knew it was now or never. "Can I talk to you…over there?"</p><p>His friends watched them head over to the ingredients cupboard. She waited for Draco to make some comment he considered charming but he was unusually quiet, his back against the wall.</p><p>"I'm sorry about yesterday," she said, reciting her practiced speech. In truth, she wanted to scream at Kane for this plan. "I—I didn't mean it. Maybe it's a twin thing and being around Harry after all this time, his feelings are affecting mine. Whatever your father's past, it doesn't mean you're the same and I shouldn't have snapped at you for doing what Umbridge asked of you."</p><p>"I'm touched," he replied, his hand over his heart.</p><p>Her nails dug into her palm. "And if she thinks I need your help, I accept that but I expect you to take it seriously. I can go to Umbridge too and tell her that you're using this to—"</p><p>"To what?" he inquired, teasingly.</p><p>"Nice try. Will you look at my essay for her class during lunch?" she asked, as Snape entered the room.</p><p>"I'd never shirk my responsibilities, Katrina." He smirked over her shoulder. "I wouldn't want you distracted so we'll work in the Slytherin common room. No one will bother us in there."</p><p>Potter glared at Draco as they took their seats. Katrina did not answer when he questioned why she was speaking to him, keeping her eyes on the blank blackboard. Snape handed back the moonstone essays, grading them based on criteria for their OWLs. The quiet groans around the room indicated that most had done poorly, Harry stuffing his essay into his bag and Fay cursing under her breath. Taking a peek at her essay, Katrina saw an O scrawled in the upper corner but masked her happiness, both to not upset Harry and to sell her act to an unsuspecting Draco.</p><p>As she worked on her strengthening solution, she had to contend with Harry's pestering, her brother more interested in her secret chat than the lesson. He clammed up when Snape passed to dole out his criticisms. She noticed a folded up piece of parchment near her cauldron, in the spot where Snape had rested his hand while inspecting her potion.</p><p>"It's called playing along," she whispered to Harry, filling up a flask. "If I don't let him mentor me, I could get detention. He won't hurt me."</p><p>Capping his flask, he wrote his name on the label. "You don't know Malfoy like I do. He only does something if it benefits him."</p><p>At the end of the lesson, she took her time to pack her belongings. Draco was being held back by a flirtatious Pansy, who could not last five seconds without brushing against his arm or playing with his hair. Listening to them talk about a Ministry party, Katrina opened the folded parchment. It read <em>Extra scoop of powdered griffin claw</em>, referring to what Harry had done wrong with his potion.</p><p>"What's so funny?" asked Draco, catching her faint smile.</p><p>"Nothing," she said, the parchment burning to ash in her hand. Leaving the classroom, Pansy eyed her with malice. "Are you finished with your girlfriend?"</p><p>"Pansy's not my—we're just friends," he said, with the speed of a billywig. "Ready to go?"</p><p>Draco led her to the Slytherin common room, hidden behind a bare stretch of wall. Its overall appearance was similar to the room in Gryffindor Tower, though it was decked out in shades of green, as opposed to red and gold, and had a lavish design. The windows provided an underground view of the lake, Katrina mesmerized by a school of brightly colored fish.</p><p>"It's like you've never—" He turned away from the window. "You've never seen a fish. I didn't even…we can sit here, if you want. Loads of them swim by and sometimes, you can see the giant squid."</p><p>Still gazing at the fish, she sat at a wooden table, dropping her bag onto the floor. "What a scandal." Pucey and Montague stepped through the wide archway. "Draco's brought a mini Potter into our common room."</p><p>"We're in the middle of something," said Draco, as Pucey dragged over another chair. Katrina slid back towards the window. "Why aren't you in the Great Hall?"</p><p>"Didn't want to deal with Pansy's wailing so if anything, it's your fault." He leaned over the back of his chair, his eyes on Katrina. "We haven't met properly, have we? I'm Adrian. This is Graham. Your story is so inspiring. I mean, to be trapped with some psycho death eater for years and look at you now. Imagine if Moore hadn't found you on your way to Belfast."</p><p>"Kent," corrected Katrina, wary of their intentions.</p><p>"My bad. Lee's a scary guy. That grisly scar he's got on the left side of his face…or is it the right?" he pondered. "It's tough to remember. Who'd know better than the girl who spent fifteen years with him?"</p><p>Picking up her bag, she left the common room, Draco shouting after her. He caught up with her as she passed Snape's office.</p><p>"New plan. We both pretend we're doing what Umbridge asked," she said, before he could feed her a lame excuse. "I'd rather not get ambushed by your friends."</p><p>"I didn't—Katrina, I swear I didn't tell Pucey to do any of that. Why would I want him to badger you?" he asked, pleading his case. "We can go somewhere else like the library or an empty classroom."</p><p>"It doesn't matter where we are, Malfoy," she countered. "Your friends will remind me of what a freak I am so forgive me if I don't want to be around that."</p><p>Katrina spent the remainder of lunch in her room. She fought the desire to vent to Jace, knowing he was likely off on a mission or training. Part of her reluctance was that she did not want to run to him for every little problem like a child. As she worked on a sketch of Purrsephone, she heard a soft tapping sound and lifted her head to see an eagle owl outside her window. She untied the package around its leg, a box wrapped in emerald green paper. Inside was a snow globe filled with water and swimming fish, the scenery changing as she touched the glass. At the bottom of the box was a note.</p><p>
  <em>I thought you'd like the view. Please accept my apology.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>-Draco</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! Any feedback is appreciated :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chimaera</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Throughout Divinations, Katrina wrestled with giving Draco a second chance. On the one hand, it would simplify her life if she could cut all ties with the arrogant Slytherin but then it would mean abandoning Kane's plan. In the end, Kane's desires eclipsed her own, particularly in regards to getting information. As much as she wanted to believe it was true, she could not completely blame him for Pucey's interrogation in the common room. Her conscience told her that beneath the horrible insults and inability to accept rejection, he was being sincere with his apology.</p><p>Her atypical daydreaming went unnoticed by her peers, due to Umbridge's inspection. The toad-faced professor and newly instated High Inquisitor spent the hour following Trelawney around the room, scribbling notes on a clipboard as the Divinations professor, a tremor in her mystical voice, questioned students about their dream diaries. While Sophie was attempting to interpret Fay's dream about flying rabbits, Katrina wrote <em>I'll partially accept your apology. Meet me in library at five o'clock</em> and added a drawing of a clownfish, the message seeping into the parchment.</p><p>Towards the end of the lesson, the inspection, which had been going well for someone as unconventional as Trelawney, took a downturn when Umbridge's line of questioning became personal, digging into her claims of being a seer. Provoked by her mild skepticism, Trelawney bristled at her request for a prediction, which she did rather dramatically, to appease her, by declaring Umbridge was in grave danger. Once Umbridge left through the trapdoor, Trelawney took out her foul mood on the class, interpreting Harry's dream diary as grim omens.</p><p>Defense Against the Dark Arts was even worse, with Hermione immediately drawing Umbridge's ire. Another argument erupted between the pair, Hermione disparaging the book, which she had read in its entirety and Umbridge sniping at her that the author's opinion mattered more than that of a teenage girl. Harry added fuel to the fire, speaking up at the indignity of five points being deducted from Gryffindor, and earning himself another week of detention for mentioning Voldemort's possession of Professor Quirrell.</p><p>Katrina kept her head down during the exchange, knowing that Umbridge was covertly gauging her reaction to her brother's rant. If she wanted to stay on her good side, Katrina needed to portray herself as at least neutral in this ongoing battle. Though she shared in their frustrations, she thought it would be wiser to take Kane's advice of adhering to Umbridge's rules to not stir up unnecessary trouble. It was pointless to argue against a woman who was devoted to Fudge and his vendetta against Dumbledore over reason.</p><p>At five o'clock, she sat at a back table in the library and opened her Potions book. "I didn't know you could draw." Draco pulled out a chair. "Where'd you learn that spell? I could use it to avoid getting yelled at by McGonagall for talking during a lesson."</p><p>"From a book." He seemed slightly discouraged. "Are you all right?"</p><p>"After what happened in the common room, I got a letter from my father," he said, sifting through his bag. "There's this boring Ministry party this weekend and whenever he forces me to attend them, he wants me to act a certain way so I don't embarrass him. It's a bunch of higher up officials cooing at you like a toddler, remarking how you've grown a whole centimeter since the last party, or trying to play matchmaker. It makes you wish you were listening to Binns."</p><p>Katrina flipped to the page on strengthening solutions. "Did you hear about what happened to the boggart in the forest?"</p><p>"What?" he asked, puzzled.</p><p>"It was riddikulus," she said, picking up her quill.</p><p>Draco suppressed a snicker, earning a disapproving sniffle from a nearby Madam Pince. She spent several minutes organizing books on the shelf by their table. Neither spoke, waiting until she scurried towards the door to reprimand a couple boys with chocolate frogs.</p><p>"Did you come up with that yourself?" She nodded. "You've picked up spells pretty fast but your jokes need work. I could come up with better ones in my sleep. Maybe I should be helping you with that instead of Potions homework. Speaking of, how'd you do on the moonstones essay?"</p><p>"Okay," she said, evasively.</p><p>"Not great, then. I got the top grade in the class, according to Snape. An A isn't perfect but you'd have to be a genius to get higher than that." Her surprise at his bravado was mistaken for being impressed. "Let me see what you've written."</p><p>Her plan to befriend Draco required little more than stroking his ego. Katrina opened herself up enough to maintain a safe boundary between them, never telling him too much about her past. It was nowhere near her level of comfort with Jace but letting him sit with her gave him the impression that she was lowering her guard. When he was not bragging about his family or his quidditch skills, he was content with learning about her. Katrina mentally noted that he was somewhat tolerable in those quiet moments.</p><p>"I have to patrol down in the dungeons in fifteen minutes," he said, checking his watch. "I can walk you back to your common room."</p><p>"You don't have to—" she started.</p><p>"I want to." She slipped her Potions book back in her bag and grabbed her wand from the table. "Where'd you get it from? Your wand. I've never seen one like it."</p><p>During lessons, she had noticed some people looking at her wand. It was different than most, specifically due to being made in another country. Aside from its origins, it was white with an iridescent mother of pearl inlay and spirals carved into the handle.</p><p>"A wand shop back h—well, what used to be home," she explained, leaving the library. "It's aspen with a core of horned serpent horn. Horned serpents are endangered because they were hunted so the core is really rare. There's a myth that the core vibrates inside the wand when it senses danger, like the actual serpents do. It's sort of a musical tone than a vibration though. Jace took me to the shop before bringing me to my aunt and uncle."</p><p>"Right. Moore found you," he muttered, sounding disgruntled.</p><p>"Why don't you like him?" she asked, remembering the tension in Flourish and Blotts.</p><p>A muscle in his jaw twitched as they reached the seventh floor. "Our families have a…complicated history. If our fathers were ever alone in a room, it wouldn't end well. His father's accused mine of things he'd never dare to say if he wasn't head of the aurors at MACUSA. He says my father uses his connections to manipulate people but that's a bit rich coming from a man whose son became an auror a day out of school."</p><p>"Jace is talented," she said, unappreciative of the slander. "He earned that position."</p><p>"And he's an arrogant as Carlisle. All of the aurors there think they're amazing but if they're so great, why did it take them so long to find you?" He shut his eyes for a second. "I didn't mean that. Some families don't get along, no matter what. Moore may drive me mad but he deserves credit for rescuing you from that psychopath."</p><p>She stopped in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. "Thank you for helping me and for the snowglobe. I'm glad I gave you another chance."</p><p>"Does this mean I can see you again?" he asked, hopefully. "Preferably just you. No brother, no friends like Roper or Davies…and I promise no ambushes by my dunderheaded friends."</p><p>"Well, you are my mentor." Instead of his well-known smirk, he grinned. "Consider it probationary."</p><p>"I'll take it. Have a good night, Katrina," he said, before descending down the staircase.</p><p>The next day, Katrina came to two conclusions: her brother was monumentally foolish and Draco had a split personality disorder. For all of his griping about Umbridge, Harry was doing a terrible job of controlling himself around her, receiving an extra detention for mouthing off during her Care of Magical Creatures inspection. Draco played a role in the punishment, stoking Harry's rage by bringing up his injury from a hippogriff during their third year, to portray Hagrid's incompetence, and Harry, in retaliation, calling him stupid.</p><p>It astounded Katrina that Draco could treat her brother like garbage but around her, he was almost a decent person. She was undecided on which was his true self and if his bullying was borne out of entertaining his friends.</p><p>"Does your brother know he's drowning his shrub in fertilizer?" Hannah whispered to her in Herbology.</p><p>Katrina gently snipped off a weed. "Umbridge gave him detention again for talking back to Malfoy. I told him that it's smarter to keep his thoughts to himself but he's like an overflowing pot. I don't want to get detention too, even if he's telling the truth, so I'm with him in silent solidarity."</p><p>"That's admirable of you. You would've been a perfect Hufflepuff. Are you sure the sorting hat got it right?" she joked.</p><p>Returning to the castle, the girls parted in the entrance hall, Hannah heading to the Hufflepuff common room in the basement. As she turned to follow Sophie and Fay to the Great Hall, Fay complaining that Harry's careless pouring of fertilizer had stained her robes, her bag tore open, spilling its contents onto the floor. She kneeled down to pick up everything, flicking her wand to clean a spot of ink from a cracked bottle. A muddy dress shoe stamped on the history book she checked out from the library. Feeling a mild tickle in her palm, she lifted her eyes from the floor to see Liam towering over her.</p><p>"Did your bag break, Potter?" he asked, the mud falling onto the cover. "That's bad luck."</p><p>His wand was sticking out of his sleeve, posing him as the culprit. "Things happen. Can you—"</p><p>"Things <em>do</em> happen," he said, darkly. "Next time, it could be a broken bone. Have you been to the hospital wing yet?"</p><p>"Liam." Roger walked through the front door with the other seventh year Ravenclaws. "I can hear your stomach growling from here. Go on."</p><p>Not given a favorable choice, faced with his friends intervening or being given detention, Liam grumbled to himself before joining the line shuffling into the Great Hall, Finn commenting that he had 'dibs' on the pork chops. Katrina haphazardly stuffed her books into her bag, afraid of being alone with Roger and blabbing about Cayden, but as she reached for the history book, he grabbed it.</p><p>"His dad's trial is set for tomorrow so he's not in a great mood. He shouldn't be taking it out on you." He wiped the mud from the cover. "Why do you have this?"</p><p>"M—my parents," she stuttered, the first excuse to pop into her head. "I don't know a lot about them. Harry barely remembers them and whatever he does, I don't want to bother him because he's dealing with loads of detentions and other things…"</p><p>"I understand," he said, looking sympathetic. "What happened to them was awful. I know what it's like to lose family."</p><p>It was a potential loophole to Kane forbidding her from mentioning Cayden. "You do?"</p><p>"My aunt and uncle were murdered by death eaters," he replied. "It happened before I was born so I never met them. Didn't know they existed until my third year either. My uncle cut himself off from the family after he married my aunt. From what my brother Chester told me, the relationship was pretty unhealthy. My aunt was a taker, you could say, and for all my uncle gave her, she was never satisfied and that attitude is what got them targeted by you know who."</p><p>Keeping her hands behind her back, she pinched her wrist to stop herself from prying into their deaths. She had not yet found any reference to Cayden's supposed demise, chalking it up to the fact that it occurred after the war and people were less interested in that post-war period. Kane seemed to be right that Roger was clueless about his estranged cousin. Giving her the book, Roger recommended for her to ask the professors about her parents, some having likely taught them as students and their stories more personal, giving her an idea.</p><p>That night, she waited in the common room for Harry with Ron and Hermione. To waste time and procrastinate from doing any work, Ron began to teach her wizard's chess using a set he inherited from his grandfather. Katrina was aided by the advice of the enchanted white pieces. As her knight hauled his pawn off the board, Hermione poured a solution of strained murtlap tentacles into a bowl.</p><p>"We need to figure out what to do about Umbridge," she said, corking the half empty bottle. "Her lessons are a joke and with this High Inquisitor position, who knows what else she could do?"</p><p>"Yeah, like slip poison into her tea," said Ron, debating his next move.</p><p>Hermione was about to reply to his sarcasm when Harry entered the common room, a bloody scarf wrapped around his hand. Giving him the bowl to soak his hand, she restarted her Umbridge conversation to discuss the possibility of learning defensive magic themselves, to counter her pitiful teaching. Ron was not keen to add to their rigorous workload, less than enthusiastic at Hermione's impassioned speech about being prepared to defend themselves in the real world. Sounding increasingly apprehensive about needing a proper teacher, she rejected Harry's proposal of Remus, who was too busy working for the Order.</p><p>"Who, then?" asked Harry, frowning.</p><p>Hermione sighed. "Isn't it obvious? I'm talking about you, Harry."</p><p>Thinking he heard her wrong, he turned to Ron, expecting him to laugh but he appeared to be in deep thought, no longer calling Hermione insane. His two best friends listed off all the reasons he was a perfect teacher, from his adventures over the years, fighting off a hundred dementors at once and saving the sorcerer's stone from Voldemort, to beating Hermione in an exam set by Remus, their sole knowledgeable professor in the subject. Harry was not persuaded, Katrina noticing him growing impatient by the minute.</p><p>The bowl of murtlap essence was shaking on his lap. "Harry…" she said, calmly.</p><p>Harry shouted at them, not caring if he woke up all of the Gryffindors, insisting that his feats were based on luck instead of actual skill. Rising from his armchair, the bowl smashing into pieces, he continued, accusing them of not realizing that facing Voldemort was not just memorizing spells and being cleverer than an opponent. His voice cracked as he spoke about the night in the graveyard and Cedric, how he could have died if he was not needed by Voldemort.</p><p>"Harry, no one was saying Cedric was less of a wizard," said Katrina, backing up an aghast Ron. "Take a breath."</p><p>Hermione stepped towards him, timidly. "Harry, don't you see? This…is exactly why we need you…We need to know what it's r—really like…facing him…facing V—Voldemort." Not saying a word, he sat in his armchair. "Well…think about it. Please?"</p><p>As she and Ron went up to their rooms, Katrina stayed in the common room. A heavy silence hung in the air, Harry burying his head between his knees.</p><p>"I shouldn't have screamed at them," he muttered. "But you agree with me, right? It's mental."</p><p>Katrina repaired the bowl, with the murtlap essence intact. "Is it? Hermione went about it a little too strong but we know what's out there. Voldemort could attack the school at any moment and if that happens, we need to be ready. Call Kane unhinged but he'd be prepared for anything. A dark wizard, an army of giants, a sentient dragon…my point is that with Umbridge's lessons, Fudge won't have to worry about Dumbledore creating an army because we'll all be dead. Whatever you decide, I'll support you."</p><p>Two weeks passed since Hermione proposed her defense idea, refraining from mentioning it to Harry, at Katrina's request, to prevent another outburst. Finished with his detentions and not actively seeking fights with Umbridge, he was finally in a good place though that was treading on a very loose thread. Against Katrina's wishes, Hermione innocently touched upon the topic while they were in the library researching potions ingredients. Harry agreed, showing slight trepidation at Hermione's encouragement of teaching anyone else willing to learn defense.</p><p>Having his approval, they planned to meet at a designated place in Hogsmeade on the first weekend in October. In the days leading up to it, Hermione and Katrina shared the idea with their fellow Gryffindors and a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. It was surprisingly popular, their fifth year dormmates, even a reluctant Lavender, on board, though Hermione suspected that many had motives besides defense lessons. She burst into uncharacteristic giggles when Anthony Goldstein poured pumpkin juice on himself while listening to Katrina's pitch.</p><p>Though Harry was no longer being subjected to Umbridge's dark torture methods, it meant that he was free to become Katrina's bodyguard, watching her like a hawk during her sessions with Draco. Unable to make much noise around Madam Pince, he settled for chucking paper balls at the back of his head.</p><p>His overprotective routine impeded her progress with Kane's plan but Draco was not fazed, deriving enjoyment from pushing his buttons. Katrina could not figure out how his personality changed so swiftly, not overly opposed to his hopes of friendship until she spotted him taunting Harry or other students. She kept up her act, toeing the line between naïveté and brainlessness by pretending to need his help with assignments and care about his boastful stories.</p><p>On the morning of the Hogsmeade trip, she met him in the library, telling Harry she had a meeting with Kane in Dumbledore's office. While she supposedly worked on translating runes, she had disguised a history book as her rune dictionary, reading about events after Voldemort's defeat. An added difficulty to the Cayden mystery was the sparse details on the battle that led to his death. She searched for any hints that could relate to the task force or death eaters evading imprisonment.</p><p>"Which one are you having trouble with?"</p><p>She looked up from a passage on a battle in an abandoned house in Wiltshire. "I'm not."</p><p>"You crinkle your nose when you get annoyed," said Draco, closing his dictionary. "You always do it in Potions when Potter isn't paying attention. It's like a rabbit."</p><p>"I like you better when you don't talk," she said, writing under a star-shaped rune.</p><p>He smirked. "Oh, so you like me?"</p><p>A shrill Pansy was ironically her savior, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind like a python constricting its prey. She whined about needing to line up for Hogsmeade, speaking about Katrina ("It's the weekend. You don't need to be around that charity case") as if she was not in the room. Wrestling out of her grip, joking that he needed to breathe but with a serious face, he left to put back a book in the Ancient Runes section. Pansy glared at Katrina, gripping the wooden chair.</p><p>"I know what you're up to," she snarled.</p><p>Katrina waved her rune sheet. "Homework."</p><p>"Those doe eyes don't fool me, Potter. If you think you're stealing Draco from me, you're wrong." She tossed back her ebony hair. "He's mine. You spent your life in a hovel so let me tell you how the world works. You're an insignificant speck of dirt on the bottom of my shoe. You'd have an easier shot at ending up in St. Mungo's with your loser brother. A boy like Draco will never want a freak like you. Why don't you settle for something on your level like a dirty rat?"</p><p>Draco glanced back at her as Pansy dragged him out of the library. Katrina was about to return to her book when she saw her mirror glowing inside her bag.</p><p>"Hey tiger," said Jace, cheerfully. "Are you in the library again? You're spending more time in there than you did when you couldn't leave the manor."</p><p>"I like the quiet," she said, checking for any sign of the rigid librarian.</p><p>He put on his training gloves. "Can't hide away forever. Still having that weird dream?"</p><p>After having the dream about the windowless corridor on fire three times in a row, she told Jace about it, wondering if it was more than her imagination. The dream ended in the same spot, the flames nearing Katrina's hand and forming a strange creature.</p><p>"Last night," she whispered, as she left the library. "Should I tell Kane?"</p><p>"Doesn't sound like anything troubling and last I checked, you weren't a seer but I could ask Elizabeth," he offered. "You said someone tried to get into your head so maybe you're fighting back in your sleep and accessing their memories. Kane's going to be back soon from a crime scene. Fifth robbery this month. I'll let you know if Elizabeth has any insight."</p><p>Sending her bag to her room, she set off for the entrance hall where students were queued in front of Filch, who was checking that they were allowed to visit Hogsmeade. A small group of second year boys was driven away by the crotchety caretaker. Scanning the winding line, she found Fay, Sophie, Parvati, and Lavender in the line. At the front, Filch sniffed around Harry's collar before letting him out of the castle.</p><p>"Katrina, you have to tell me where you get your clothes," raved Parvati, as Katrina brushed off a quill feather from her white blouse that matched her daisy printed skirt. "They're so much cuter than the ones in the shops here."</p><p>Lavender was split between ignoring her and admiring her outfit. "Why do you have to be related to your crazy brother?" Fay smacked her arm with the back of her hand. "Ow! I wasn't—I said <em>he</em> was crazy, not her. I'm only going with you guys because I want to pass my OWLs."</p><p>"Hi Katrina," said Roger, walking over to her with Finn. She had invited him to the meeting when she and Hermione were talking to the Ravenclaws. "Are you excited to visit Hogsmeade? I could show you around later. Have you ever had a butterbeer?"</p><p>Behind him, Fay and Sophie were making kissy faces at each other. "No." Sophie made a heart with her hands. "I'll have to try it."</p><p>One by one, they stepped up to Filch, who matched their name to his list. Eyeing Katrina beadily, he checked off her name. Roger led them to the familiar gates to Hogsmeade, telling her about the various shops. For their meeting, Hermione picked the Hog's Head, a dodgy pub that was not normally frequented by Hogwarts students which lessened their worries of being overheard by someone who could snitch to Umbridge. From the years spent with Kane, Katrina was wary, finding a crowd safer, with everyone distracted by their own conversations, and less suspicious to a stranger. She tried to voice that concern to Harry but he merely teased that she was being as paranoid like Moody.</p><p>"We can't go somewhere…nicer?" asked Sophie, observing the battered wooden sign, of a boar's severed head, over the door. "Penelope Clearwater once said that criminals hang around this pub."</p><p>"Don't be a baby," said Fay, opening the creaky door.</p><p>Dodgy had been an understatement. To Sophie's point, Katrina would not be shocked to find a criminal hiding among the patrons, several hiding under hoods and veils. The pub was covered with centuries of grime and filth, lit by candle stubs on the rough wooden tables. A grumpy man behind the bar conjured a glass filled with a smoking substance for a man whose head was wrapped in dirty gray bandages. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were seated at a table farthest from the bar.</p><p>"What's Davies doing here?" he hissed, as Katrina sat beside him.</p><p>"He was interested," she replied, smoothing out her skirt.</p><p>He took a sip of his butterbeer bottle. "Yeah, interested…" he mumbled.</p><p>"Be nice," she pleaded. "You can't treat everyone like an enemy."</p><p>When the others arrived, the barman stunned by the number of people, Fred ordered a round of butterbeers. As he handed Katrina a bottle, she gave him two sickles and felt something heavy around her shoulders. Harry had given her his coat, saying she looked cold and maneuvering it to hide her blouse.</p><p>"What are you doing?" she asked, shrugging off the coat.</p><p>"Gits need to keep their eyes to themselves." He scowled in the direction of Anthony and his friends, who were gazing at the ceiling. "It could get chilly so why don't you wear the coat?"</p><p>"Maybe you should because Cho's looking at you," she whispered. "I don't feel comfortable with her ogling you."</p><p>Blushing, he took back the coat. An anxious Hermione cleared her throat, all heads turning from Harry to her, and explained the purpose of the meeting.</p><p>"Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands." She paused, glancing sideways at Harry. "And by that, I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells—"</p><p>"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL too though, I bet?" said Michael, earning a kick to the back of his leg from Ginny.</p><p>"Of course I do," agreed Hermione. "But I want more than that. I want to be properly trained in defense because…because…because Lord Voldemort's back."</p><p>The reaction around the table reminded Katrina of their first lesson with Umbridge. Cho's curly haired friend spilled butterbeer on her outfit, Neville gave an odd yelp, and Sophie and Hannah shuddered in their chairs. To her right, Roger gripped his butterbeer bottle, looking grim.</p><p>"Where's the proof You Know Who's back?" asked a blonde boy named Zacharias, quite aggressively.</p><p>Katrina remembered him from her talk with the fifth year Hufflepuffs one evening. He showed an interest when she mentioned Harry being part of the group, his eyes constantly lowering past her face not endearing her to him. A few people, like Lavender, seemed to share his view.</p><p>"Well, Dumbledore believes it—" began Hermione.</p><p>"You mean, Dumbledore believes <em>him</em>," he argued, nodding towards Harry.</p><p>"Who are <em>you</em>?" asked Ron, rudely.</p><p>"Zacharias Smith," he replied. "And I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes <em>him</em> say You Know Who's back."</p><p>"Look," intervened Hermione. "That's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about—"</p><p>"It's okay, Hermione," said Harry, barely keeping his calm. He faced Zacharias. "What makes me say You Know Who's back? I saw him. But Dumbledore told the school what happened last year and if you didn't believe him, then you don't believe me and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."</p><p>No one spoke, the group collectively holding its breath. Zacharias pushed on for details but Harry shut him down, refusing to provide a gruesome account of Cedric's death, Cho, on the verge of tears, grateful for him not giving into Zacharias's demands. Katrina sensed that Harry was seconds from biting off the arrogant Hufflepuff's head.</p><p>"I'd say I'm proof enough," she said, now the recipient of curious stares. "The man who kidnapped me was a death eater. He knew Voldemort was back because one of his colleagues told him about that night and he felt emboldened enough to come out of hiding to be closer to him. He would be helping him right now if the aurors didn't catch him. Why would he risk hiding for fifteen years on a hunch?"</p><p>Only Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys were aware of her lie, Fred and George flashing her a thumbs up under their Zonko's bags. Possibly prompted by her fictitious example, others pointed out Harry's numerous feats over the years, the conversation shifting from an interrogation. The group was taken aback by Hermione's admission, a theory in their minds, that Umbridge was not teaching them properly out of fear that Dumbledore would mobilize them into an army against the Ministry. Soon enough, they all, Zacharias begrudgingly, agreed to being taught by Harry, though there was a debate over when and where to hold their meetings, to not clash with quidditch practices.</p><p>Rummaging through her bag, she pulled out a parchment and quill. "I—I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here." She shared a subtle look with Katrina. "But I also think that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge—or anybody else—what we're up to."</p><p>That eagerness ebbed, some uneasy with signing their names. "I—well, we are <em>prefects</em>," said a hesitant Ernie, who had moments ago advocated for the group's importance. "Roger's Head Boy…and if this list was found…well, I mean to say…you said yourself, if Umbridge finds out…"</p><p>"You just said this group was the most important thing you'd do this year," Harry reminded him.</p><p>"I—yes," stuttered Ernie. "Yes, I do believe that…it's…"</p><p>After a testy assurance from Hermione, Ernie and the rest signed the parchment. The group left the Hog's Head, Cho waving at Harry as her friend ushered her through the door.</p><p>"Do you need something?" Harry asked Roger, who was picking up his empty bottle from the table.</p><p>"I'm showing Katrina around the village," he said, either oblivious or indifferent to her brother's hostility.</p><p>Harry's eye twitched. "That's kind of you," said Hermione, patting his shoulder. "Katrina, would you help me clear the table?"</p><p>Collecting the empty butterbeer bottles, they huddled over by the nearest trash bin. "Let's hope no one blabs. That jinx is nasty," Katrina whispered to her. "My money's on Zacharias Smith."</p><p>Leaving the Hog's Head, she followed Roger up the dirt path that connected to the village. Harry turned his head whenever he heard Katrina giggle, his desire to hex Roger thwarted by Ron gagging on his butterbeer and flipping out over the news of Ginny dating Michael. As they reached the main street, Ron raging about Michael, she saw Draco outside a boutique with his friends, a miserable Graham holding a dozen bags of clothes. A girl added to his hoard, pecking his cheek before going back into the shop.</p><p>"So where to first?" asked Roger. "Honeyduke's has tons of sweets. If you want another butterbeer, we could go to the Three Broomsticks. It's a lot nicer than the Hog's Head, trust me."</p><p>Katrina felt a faint vibration against her wrist. Looking around the village, as though she was weighing her options, she noticed something peculiar about the brick wall of the quill shop where Hermione was admiring a display of pheasant-feather quills. Broken leaves glided from the rooftop and as Harry shook them out of his hair, the vibration intensified, like pricks from a hundred needles.</p><p>Unaware of her lack of attention, Roger was still talking about the shops. "Or we could go to this tea shop. It's…usually for coup—"</p><p>Katrina kicked Harry's back, causing him to stumble into Ron. "What the h—"</p><p>A jet of crimson light struck the spot he had just been, singeing the cobblestone. With two swift movements, she shot a stunning spell at the roof and the brick wall. A masked figure, a woman considering their curvy frame and the long hair sticking out from their hood, emerged from the wall, falling face first into the ground, and simultaneously, there was a crash in the alley next to the shop. Katrina flicked her wand to send Harry, Ron, and Hermione into the quill shop, casting a shield charm over the doorway. Blocking a spell from the alley, Roger was blasted back by its power, hitting a bench.</p><p>An invisible force squeezed her throat and feeling them fade, a sign they were about to apparate, she jammed her wand under her arm. Crying out in pain, the loss of concentration interfered with their apparition and Katrina fell from the haze in mid-air, landing safely, thanks to a cushioning charm, in a mountainous area by the village. Three masked figures, one of them the woman from the quill shop and all dressed in black, appeared around her, two of their masks resembling lions and one resembling a dragon.</p><p>The one sporting a dragon mask had dried blood on his left pant leg. "And here I thought it'd be an easy job," he said, his voice scrambled to sound like a mix of multiple people. "Don't be stupid. It's three against one. You'll come quietly or your brother won't make it out of that shop."</p><p>Katrina held her wand tip against the wet grass. "Depulso."</p><p>The charm bounced off the confined target, creating an earthquake-like ripple in the ground. All three figures were thrown off their feet and Katrina raced towards the grey smoke in the distance.</p><p>She pointed her wand at her throat. "Professor, I need help—"</p><p>A jet of ice blue light zoomed past her, freezing a boulder. She created a circular shield around herself, deflecting their spells. Taking a detour in the woods, she watched trees freeze and get blown to pieces. Her shield suddenly disintegrated and a tree that had been struck with a blasting curse split down the middle, one half burnt while the other showed no damage.</p><p>Katrina climbed up the nearest tree. "Come out, princess. No shield charm will work out here." The woman walked through the wreckage. "Don't make me hurt that pretty face. He wants you in one piece and whatever he wants, he gets. We don't have to fight."</p><p>Holding up her wand, she tried to light her wand tip but it remained unchanged, confirming her ears. She waited for the woman to pass before quietly climbing down to search for another exit.</p><p>An arm snaked around her neck, the woman grazing a knife against her cheek. "Nice try, sweetie. Now, we're going to go back to where my magic will work again and then we're—ugh!"</p><p>Katrina savagely bit her arm and after disarming her, she slammed her head into a tree trunk, knocking her unconscious. Every few steps, she cast the lighting charm to gauge the scope of whatever had impeded her magic. Her wand lit as she lined up with the partially wrecked tree, the tip hovering over the scattered debris. Seeing bright lights graze the cloudy sky, she headed back to the entrance of the woods. Roger was fighting the other lion-masked figure, his lip bloody and his shirt torn. Overpowering Roger's shield charm, his wand disappearing in the grass, the man cast a jelly-legs jinx.</p><p>The dragon-masked man apparated in front of the fallen Roger, pressing his boot into his chest. "Ooh, does that hurt? You might've broken a rib. Go find the girl. We had a short window as it is and you and that hag fucked up. Remember not to get too close to touch."</p><p>As the lion-masked man vanished, Katrina cast a disillusionment charm over herself. Roger was knocked out with a sleeping spell.</p><p>"I know I have my orders to not hurt family but I really want to bloody you up, pretty boy," the man said, increasing pressure on his chest. "I could call it an accident. You <em>did</em> try to hurt one of my men so an eye for an eye, right? I get it. You wanted to be the hero in her story but guess what? You're nothing but a—"</p><p>Katrina shot a wave of golden light, sending the man flying several feet and through a wooden shed. She hurried over to the unconscious Roger. Before she could begin to heal him, she deflected a bright white lightning bolt. A lightning whip swung from the man's wand, repeatedly attempting to strike her. She kept up her shield charm, struggling to get a clean shot, and as her shield fell again, the lightning struck her. Clutching her side, blood seeping through her fingers and her shoulder, she lowered her wand, knowing it was useless.</p><p>The man sauntered towards her. "You put up a good fight. I knew you would but here's a tip. If you want to win, you don't fight fair. It's why you'll always lose. You're a gifted witch but without it, you're a weak little girl. If you come with me, I can teach you. Chimaera is the way. Just take my hand, Katrina."</p><p>She grabbed his hand with her free, ungloved hand. "Gladly."</p><p>Reaching for her, he froze, crumpling to his knees. His wrist began to resemble Andrews's in the interrogation chamber, his skin and part of his neck turning grey. The other masked figures ran out of the woods and feeling a burning sensation, Katrina screamed, a wave of energy emanating from her that toppled her attackers and reduced the first four rows of trees in the woods and surrounding boulders to ash. All three masked figures rapidly apparated, the dragon-masked leader unable to move the right side of his body, leaving her with an unconscious Roger and a hand glowing bright red.</p><p>"Katrina!"</p><p>Her body trembling, she slid her glove over her burning hand. Draco sped down the rocky path, his eyes widening at the destruction, and kneeled beside her.</p><p>"Here, let me—" She recoiled as his hand neared her shoulder. "I know—Katrina, you have to let me help you up."</p><p>"I'm fine," she said, sitting up and failing to hide her wincing.</p><p>"You're not fine!" There was a definite panic in his a voice. "You're bleeding. Snape's coming. He was telling everyone to get back to the castle and it took awhile because Potter kept trying to sneak off. Did you see who attacked you? Where are they?"</p><p>He held out his wand. "They apparated after Roger showed up but one of them hit him with a sleeping spell."</p><p>"It wasn't who you think," he said, sounding like he wanted to convince himself more than her. "They don't wear masks like that ever. I swear they wouldn't come after you, not with Dumbledore around. That'd be suicidal. It'll be okay. Madam Pomfrey can fix anyone. Katrina? You need to stay awake. Look at me."</p><p>The last thing she heard was Draco shouting her name. Her dream about the corridor returned but this time, it was different. As the flames swirled around her and the creature formed, she saw that it consisted of a lion's head, a dragon's tail, and the body of a goat. A hand seized her blouse through the flames, creating the burning sensation she felt when grabbing her attacker. The corridor was replaced with the Hogwarts grounds, the castle ablaze and her friends in a pile of corpses. Snape appeared behind her, fading in and out like a flickering candle.</p><p>Breathing heavily, her eyes popped open. Snape was sitting in a chair beside her bed, rubbing his temple. She looked wildly around the white interior of the hospital wing, seeing scorch marks on the wall opposite her bed and the bed frames twisted like pretzels.</p><p>"It was a dream," he assured her. "You're in the hospital wing. The magic you absorbed was taken out and Mister Davies was patched up. His injuries were mild but he's to report to Madam Pomfrey in the morning to check that his ribs are healed. Professor Dumbledore has ordered the wing to be closed for the night to ensure a full recovery for you. He's speaking with Carlisle in his office."</p><p>"I saw—it felt real," She pointed at the wall. "Did I do that?"</p><p>"When we're asleep, our magic can sometimes let loose. It's a simple repair," he said, handing her a glass of water. "It was a dream, Katrina. Your mind is powerful, even when you're resting. Carlisle's taught you well."</p><p>"No, it's not the first time I've dreamt that." Her eyes brimmed with tears. "It's never ended that way. I felt this burning inside me, like this giant fire that wants to be fed. It happened when I grabbed that man's wrist. I thought I was in control."</p><p>"And you are." He waved his wand, repairing the wall and bed frames. "Your powers are growing, yes, but you're not a danger. We all slip up, no matter how old we get, and what matters is whether we give up or keep going. You're perfectly safe at Hogwarts."</p><p>When Kane and Dumbledore entered the hospital wing, a shaken Katrina recounted the attack from beginning to end. None of the men were certain how her magic was impeded at random moments but what the dragon-masked man said to Roger essentially confirmed Cayden's role in the attack.</p><p>"How he is alive is a mystery for another day," Dumbledore told a silent Kane. "Katrina, did this ringleader say anything else that may have stuck out to you?"</p><p>"He said…Chimaera is the way," she said, rubbing her shoulder. "In my dream, I think I saw one so maybe he was trying to reach out to me."</p><p>"Perhaps. He'd rather pry the information from you than me or the task force," suggested Kane. "Get dressed and we'll search the area."</p><p>"Are you incapable of your own investigating?" asked Snape, preventing her from leaving the bed. "She needs her rest, Carlisle. She could've died out there. For all you know, they could return to the grounds."</p><p>Kane took out his wand. "I don't need your input on how to conduct my business, Snape. Katrina handled herself far better than any of your students could've in that situation. Her siphon ability could help us track the source of their trick. Stand aside." Snape glared at him. "If I have to ask him again, Albus, you'll be down a professor. It was already hard enough to find a Defense one, wasn't it?"</p><p>"I'd appreciate if you left him intact, Kane, and as useful as Katrina would be, she <em>does</em> need her rest," advised Dumbledore. "Let us not needlessly fight. We cannot defeat our enemies if we are not united and I'd dread having to inform Minerva why you are in one of these beds. Severus and I will accompany you on your search and if Katrina is needed to solve this puzzle, I will certainly admit that I was in the wrong."</p><p>If anyone could stand up to Kane, it was Dumbledore. Backing away from Snape, he left the hospital wing. Dumbledore conjured a plate of freshly made lemon bars onto her nightstand and he and a distrustful Snape followed after Kane to aid in the investigation. As she picked up a lemon bar, she was distracted by a scratching sound. A message was etched into the nightstand: <em>I'm coming for you.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Puppet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco had not felt this awful since he cracked his father's foe-glass but instead of dreading his father taking away his prime seats for an England vs France quidditch match, he was fearing for the life of a girl who could hardly tolerate him unless they were sitting quietly in a library. After what Draco heard over the summer, eavesdropping on the meetings in his drawing room with Theodore, Adrian, and Graham, the chaos in Hogsmeade should not have unnerved him but perhaps it was seeing the violence firsthand, Katrina clinging to consciousness and her blouse soaked with blood, that made it a reality.</p><p>Any attempts to visit her in the hospital wing were futile, Madam Pomfrey shooing any visitors, even her own brother, to give her a proper recovery. If not for Granger and Weasley, Potter would have hexed his way through the door, not satisfied with her insistence that Katrina did not suffer serious injuries. Davies was not much help either, his memory of the fight hazy, but to, Draco's disgust, that did not stop a majority of the school from declaring him a hero. For most of Saturday night and Sunday, Draco listened to them praise him for his bravery, girls more infatuated with him than before and treating him like he had effortlessly defeated the intruders. If Draco was not worried about drawing suspicion, having sneaked out of the line being brought back to the castle by shop owners while Snape argued with Potter, he would tell his fan girls that their precious hero was flat on his back and unconscious when he found Katrina.</p><p>Sitting in a black leather armchair by the fireplace, Draco stared at the burning embers, lost in thought. He had gotten up early, to be alone and hopefully get five minutes of peace without Pansy hinting that Selene Carrow had been given Graham's family ring to solidify their relationship, though, the way Graham told the story when they were agonizingly waiting outside Gladrags where the girls shopped, it was done after Selene threatened to snap his racing broom in half. An unfinished letter laid on his lap, what was supposed to be the latest update to his father on his progress with Katrina. Her stay in the hospital wing provided him with an excuse for his lack of news, Madam Pomfrey likely putting her in an induced sleep.<br/>f<br/>"Oh, Drakie, you're so handsome," he heard.</p><p>Sniggering, Adrian, Graham, Cassius, and Miles walked down the spiral staircase. "Is that a love letter? You can borrow one of Graham's. Swap out Selene's name for Pansy's," suggested Adrian.</p><p>"Hilarious," said Draco, sarcastically. He tossed the crumpled parchment into the flames. "It was for my father. He wants weekly reports on everything going on with school and…"</p><p>"Your secret Gryffindor girlfriend?" teased Graham. "She hasn't left the hospital wing. Miles and I went by there last night. Snape was guarding the door and said he'd have us scrub cauldrons without magic. Guess he's not happy that it failed."</p><p>Draco looked at Graham, confused. "Failed?"</p><p>"Did your father not tell you? Maybe he thinks you're too young." Cassius's remark stirred up another round of sniggers. "They were going to separate her and Potter and then snatch her so the Dark Lord could use her as leverage. Apparently, they work for a new ally of his that speaks to him in private and his team is some elite group."</p><p>"Can't be that elite if they got beat up by Davies," joked Miles. "Draco, where are you off to?"</p><p>He was pulling on his robes. "Haven't seen the latest educational decree, have you?" Picking up his bag, he pointed at the noticeboard in the corner, a large sign covering the Hogsmeade advertisements. "The Ministry's banned all clubs and teams like quidditch and only Umbridge can lift the ban so while you're gossiping, I'm going to her office to guarantee we get to play."</p><p>Leaving the dungeons, he headed to Umbridge's office, knowing that he was about to curse those morons he considered friends. How could they not tell him about the attack or that Katrina was the primary target? With what he learned, if it slipped around Katrina, she would assume that he knew it as well, inclined to believe the worst of him.</p><p>As he neared the frilly pink office, he heard two sets of voices, one belonging to Umbridge and the other low and gruff. She was speaking to Robards, a broad-shouldered auror who Draco's father once called a 'brainless sheep' for his blind loyalty to Fudge, handing him a stack of memos.</p><p>"Hello Draco," she said, her voice overly cheery. "What brings you to my office so early in the morning? No need to hide. You've met Robards at the Minister's home, haven't you? The Minister sent him to conduct a thorough inspection of what happened in Hogsmeade. Draco and Miss Potter are quite close. He's been mentoring her, at my behest."</p><p>"Do you know who did it?" Draco asked Robards, not bothering with pleasantries.</p><p>"Not by name but we have suspects." Draco was not fooled by his bombastic tone. "I should return to the Ministry to deliver my report to Scrimgeour. I'll keep you informed on any news, Madam Umbridge."</p><p>Instead of taking the path Draco had from the grand staircase, Robards disappeared down a different corridor. "How can I help you, dear?" asked Umbridge, sitting at her desk.</p><p>He faced her. "I saw the notice in the common room…about clubs and teams? I figured that included quidditch as well and I was wondering if you'd reinstate the Slytherin team."</p><p>"Certainly," she said, without hesitation. A piece of parchment appeared on her desk, bearing the official Ministry insignia at the top. "I wouldn't seek to punish you and your hardworking teammates. The law is for organizations that may not have the best intentions or values. It's heartening to see you being a positive influence on Miss Potter. If you'd like to visit her, you may tell Madam Pomfrey that, as High Inquisitor, I'll allow it. I don't want to see her fall down the same disturbed path as her brother. She's been through enough, don't you agree?"</p><p>At the mention of Katrina, his stomach twisted into knots. "Yes, of course."</p><p>"It's made her guarded, as I'm sure you can tell, and that will make it harder for her to speak about her experiences but my hope is that she would feel comfortable confiding in a friend. It's very fortunate that she escaped that attack relatively unscathed." She held out the official-looking parchment. "If she does tell you more about that day, I'd expect that you could relay that information to me to aid the aurors in their investigation. The Minister could reward you for your efforts, possibly by bestowing your father an advisory role in an official capacity."</p><p>"If I hear anything, I'll tell you straight away, professor," he said, tucking the parchment inside his robes.</p><p>Umbridge flashed him a smile that was meant to convey warmth but seemed like a creature mimicking human emotion. The Great Hall was abuzz with chatter about the newest educational decree, people panicking over the status of their clubs. As he headed for the Slytherin table, he observed Macmillan, Abbott, and a few Ravenclaws converging towards the Gryffindor table and Granger gesturing frantically at them behind her Arithmancy book. He disregarded the odd scene, thinking they were interested in Katrina's condition but Granger did not want to upset Potter. Katrina and Abbott appeared to be friendly and Goldstein was as subtle as a giant amongst goblins with his crush, Draco accidentally tripping him in Herbology when he overheard him discussing her shiny hair with Corner.</p><p>Aria was whining about the choir potentially being cut, thanks to the ban, though Pansy forgot about consoling her when Draco sat beside Theodore.</p><p>"Draco, do you like my earrings? My father got them for me in Paris," she said, showing off her diamond studs.</p><p>"Yeah, great." He poked Graham's arm, distracting him from Selene. "Robards was in Umbridge's office. He was looking into the attack in Hogsmeade. Whatever you lot know, keep it to yourselves."</p><p>Pansy's cheeks swelled like a chipmunk's. "Draco…"</p><p>"Not now," hissed Adrian. "The aurors won't tie it to us. They don't believe Dumbledore about you know who."</p><p>"Until they do," argued Draco. "What if they capture the culprits? What if they get a confession out of them and instead of going after our parents, they question us because we were across the street from her and Davies? Don't go mouthing off to anyone, especially Potter."</p><p>"Or we go up to the hospital wing to alter her memories." Selene shook her head at Graham's idea. "He's bound to talk to her and we don't know if her memory is as foggy as Davies is so what if she uses that opportunity to pin it on our parents who Potter already called out last June? She could be conspiring with Dumbledore. We need to shut her up."</p><p>Katrina grimaced as Madam Pomfrey shoved a spoon of healing potion in her mouth. It amplified the bitterness of her siphoning potion, the taste sticking to her tongue as she leaned back on the bed. Being stuck in the hospital wing for days was a nice reprieve from the constant eyes of her classmates, giving her a privacy she could not even achieve in the library. At the same time, she was itching to get out of bed to continue her Cayden research.</p><p>Now that it was all but visually confirmed by the Hogsmeade attack, the entire task force was informed of his revival and his new group Chimaera. With everyone in the loop, Katrina could have nightly chats with Jace, who remembered little about Cayden, except for his obsessive personality. According to Jace, he, as Kane had mentioned previously, tended to strive to be the best, no matter the consequences. Briefed on that fateful night in 1984, the two discussed potential methods of him cheating death and whether it was by his own hand or the work of a death eater, who then manipulated Cayden to do his bidding and later Voldemort's.</p><p>The night of the attack in Hogsmeade, Kane visited her again to relay what he, Snape, and Dumbledore discovered outside the village. While they were unable to find a clue to her attackers' identities, they found what had triggered her temporary loss of magic. Replaying the scene with a charm, Snape noticed the dragon-masked man press against his belt and then Katrina's shield charm reversed, finding a glass sphere in the dirt where he sloppily apparated with his accomplices.</p><p>Kane took the sphere for further inspection, showing it to Katrina who recognized it from her memory of Cayden. It was not a remembrall but a dark magical orb that could contain a specific spell or potion. At first glance, Kane surmised that the orb released a diluted potion into the air as a mist, which explained its increased range over time, and one of its ingredients was the Peruvian Vipertooth venom, the dragon using its venom to immobilize its prey. His theory was that Cayden's potion acted in a similar manner, restricting a wizard's magic.</p><p>As Katrina stretched her back, the door swung open and a man strolled into the hospital wing, followed by a furious Snape. He was the auror who was nasty to Jace in the Ministry, when he had begun telling Katrina's fake kidnapping tale.</p><p>Madam Pomfrey did not take kindly to the intrusion. "Professor Snape, what is the meaning of this?"</p><p>"I'm here on Ministry business to gather the facts in our investigation of the matter in Hogsmeade," he said, sternly. "It's an ongoing case until the culprits are caught and Miss Potter is a key witness. She looks well enough to answer questions, despite what Severus claims…"</p><p>"This will be brief, Madam Pomfrey," said Snape, standing beside Katrina's bed. "Dumbledore investigated the scene himself and was willing to share his findings but that does not satisfy the auror office. I will stay with Miss Potter so that Robards does not strain her too much. She <em>is</em> still healing, after all."</p><p>With a soft <em>hmph</em>, Madam Pomfrey bustled over to her office. Robards conjured a notepad and a grey eagle-feather quill, both hovering by his shoulder. Katrina had to tell a version of the truth, a narrative that fit the scene that Dumbledore altered that night to conceal Katrina's part in fighting the attackers.</p><p>"I'm doing my job, Severus. She isn't on trial." He turned towards Katrina. "Shall we start from the beginning? Professor Umbridge provided me with statements from those who were near the quill shop. Theodore Nott told her that you kicked your twin brother in the back and then knocked two of the assailants from their hiding places. How?"</p><p>"A stunning spell," she answered, honestly.</p><p>The quill glided across the notepad. "Not that. How did you know where they were?" asked Robards, intrigued. "Your classmates say they were invisible yet you could see them."</p><p>"I—I didn't know who it was exactly. Hermione was looking at the quills in the window and I thought I saw a brick move," explained Katrina, the quill scribbling each word on the parchment. "I've read how disillusionment charms work. It's not actual invisibility. You're like a chameleon. I've never been to Hogsmeade so I was looking around everywhere. That's why I saw their wand lighting up on the roof too and I was afraid it would hit Harry so I pushed him."</p><p>"Such a keen sense of observation for a teenage girl." There was a hint of skepticism in his tone. "I doubt a first year auror could detect something so miniscule."</p><p>Snape furrowed his brow. "Maybe my upbringing has made me highly sensitive to my surroundings," she offered. "If your next question is why my brother and I were attacked, that's obvious. They were working for Voldemort."</p><p>Robards stared at her with a hardened expression, his quill lifting up from the notepad. She had derailed his line of questioning that was supposed to lead to a random suspect like Sirius. It was the one answer he wanted to avoid, to fit the Ministry's 'Anti-Dumbledore' agenda.</p><p>His cold eyes flickered to Snape, who remained silent. "That's quite the assumption to make, Miss Potter. There's no indication—"</p><p>"Isn't that your job?" she asked, politely. "You make assumptions and see if they lead to the truth. Wouldn't it be prudent to explore your options? Their masks were different but maybe that was to throw you off their trail."</p><p>"Yes, well, our leads come from facts, not fantasies concocted by children," he countered. "What happened after you were taken? Why did they take you to the mountains?"</p><p>She shrugged. "The man who grabbed me splinched himself. I'm guessing it wasn't intentional. I was dizzy from the crash so I just remember Roger scaring them off. The man wearing a lion mask hit him with a spell as they were about to apparate."</p><p>The notepad closed with a snap. "We're done, Miss Potter. If the office requests a follow up, I'll be in touch."</p><p>Katrina doubted it would be their last encounter. In response to the Hogsmeade attack, aurors were being stationed in the village and the castle grounds, to ward off the masked figures or copycats who thrived from the mayhem.</p><p>"Robards is prickly to anyone he deems beneath him. A product of a lifetime of being praised for ingratiating behavior and believing his career gives him a higher value," said Snape, as the door slammed shut. "You handled yourself well."</p><p>Katrina picked up her glass of water. "I said what Kane told me to."</p><p>"Do you ever feel he burdens you?" Taking a sip, she glanced at Snape. "Carlisle tends to forget that people, including those closest to him, have their limits. You're not obligated to do anything simply because he asks it of you. I don't want you to end up like your—I don't want him forcing you into a battle that isn't yours to fight. Black, Lupin, and I never see eye to eye but on that, we can agree."</p><p>On Tuesday night, well past dinner and after a full examination by Madam Pomfrey, Katrina was released from the hospital wing. She managed to get an early release by telling Madam Pomfrey that she was anxious about walking into the Great Hall or a classroom and having hundreds of eyes watching her every move. The Gryffindor common room was completely empty, except for a head of disheveled jet-black hair poking over the top of an armchair by the fireplace. Purrsephone scurried around the armchair and towards her, Katrina taking the tiny kitten into her arms.</p><p>Harry was dozing off, his Potions book sliding from his lap with a dull thud onto the hearthrug. At the sound of Purrsephone's purring, he awoke and fixed his askew glasses, jumping up at the sight of Katrina.</p><p>"Kat—" She inched back as he moved to hug her. "Don't. I've spent the past four days worried that you were about to be sent to St. Mungo's or that Madam Pomfrey missed something and then McGonagall would pull me into her office to tell me that you were dead. I wasn't allowed in the hospital wing so the least you could do is let me—"</p><p>"I can't," she whispered, a tightening in her chest. "I—I don't want to hurt you."</p><p>"Are you loopy from a healing potion?" he asked, incredulously. "What are you on about?"</p><p>Taking off a glove, she picked up a wriggling white knight from the wizard's chess set on the oval-shaped coffee table and squeezed it tight before tossing it to Harry. The chess piece was stationary, like the ones in a muggle shop.</p><p>"Dumbledore didn't send me into hiding because Voldemort was after me. Well, he would have been if he knew what I could do but Kane took me so it would stay a secret," she said, struggling with her words. She held up her glowing hand. "I'm a siphon."</p><p>Katrina delved into the truth about her dangerous ability. Dumbledore's reason for hiding her with Kane went beyond protecting her from Voldemort, but from potential persecution by the Ministry. Siphons were extremely rare in the wizarding world, presumed to have died out in the 1800s. Ministries used to track them from birth, shutting them away if they posed a danger to their peers. Unloading one truth led to her bringing up Cayden, his possible alliance with Voldemort, and how he was behind the incident in Hogsmeade.</p><p>When she finished, a weight lifted off her chest, she waited for Harry to speak but instead, he threw his potions book at her. "You knew that and to you, the logical choice was to not tell me where those psychos were but to fight them yourself? You could've been killed, Katrina!"</p><p>"So could you!" Harry was startled by her matching his volume. "I saved your life and I'm not apologizing for that, Harry! They were spying on us so it's not like I could send you a secret message and to be honest, I'm the better fighter."</p><p>He rolled his eyes. "Just because you can throw a punch—"</p><p>"I can do a lot more than that," she retorted. "Cayden isn't like Voldemort. He learned from Kane and he's taught that style to his recruits. They have a weapon that restricts our magic so if that happened, what would you do? They'd pin you down in seconds. If Kane didn't train me, I wouldn't be here. I saved you from having your face blown off and I saved Roger. Stop treating me like I can barely hold my wand straight."</p><p>"I wasn't…you're right," he admitted. "But it doesn't mean you put yourself in danger. What if they come back or find another way to get near you? Why would Cayden side with Voldemort if Kane took him in?"</p><p>"No idea," she said, sitting in an armchair. "Maybe he always was a bad person or he's working with Voldemort for his own agenda. Whatever he's up to, it isn't good. That potion of his has a short time frame because it's a mist but if he perfects it, Voldemort could use to get into the Ministry or into Hogwarts."</p><p>"You stopped it," he said, mulling it over. "You were able to take magic from the leader with the dragon mask. What if you absorbed more than his magic? You said sometimes, if your emotions are heightened, you absorb magic around you. It could've happened with that sphere and that's why you were able to siphon him."</p><p>"Maybe." Purrsephone nipped on her index finger. "You can't tell anyone. Not about what really happened on Saturday, not about Cayden, and definitely not about my abilities. Harry, this is serious. Are you listening to me?"</p><p>Harry was peering at the open portrait hole. Initially fearful that someone heard them, Katrina noticed Hedwig perched atop a stack of Hermione's knitted hats and underneath the brightly colored fabric was a house-elf with eyes the shade of tennis balls and pencil-like nose. Moving from his armchair, Harry addressed the house-elf as Dobby, the former servant of the Malfoys who warned him about the Chamber of Secrets and he later freed in his second year. Dobby had volunteered to bring Hedwig, the snowy owl giving an indignant hoot and fluttering over to Katrina's armchair.</p><p>"She showed up yesterday during History of Magic," Harry told Katrina, stroking Hedwig's head. "I'll tell you about that later. This is Dobby. Dobby, this is my sister Katrina."</p><p>As Katrina poured water in a bowl for Hedwig with her wand, she waved at Dobby. "It's nice to meet you, Dobby."</p><p>The house-elf looked at her like she was a fifty foot giant. "Dobby has heard Harry Potter's sister is alive and well. His old masters spoke of her often. Dobby is pleased that Harry and Katrina Potter are reunited!"</p><p>"Thanks, Dobby," replied Harry. "Er…have you been taking <em>all</em> the clothes Hermione's been leaving out?"</p><p>Dobby was taking the clothes for himself and another house-elf Harry met named Winky. Though Hermione had good intentions with knitting garments, the other house-elves in the castle viewed it as an affront on their servile nature, uninterested in freedom, and refused to clean Gryffindor Tower. While Harry talked with Dobby, the house-elf eager to aid him, Katrina absentmindedly conjured an owl treat for Hedwig, thinking about Dobby's past connection to the Malfoys. Harry was writing down the location of the Room of Requirement, an enchanted room that altered its interior depending on a person's needs.</p><p>"Dobby." The house-elf's ears wiggled at her saying his name. "How long did you work for the Malfoys?"</p><p>"Many years, miss," he said, dolefully. "Dobby is most grateful to Harry Potter for freeing him from his masters."</p><p>Katrina took out a photo from the pocket of her cardigan. Jace sent it to her during one of their late night chats, the photo of the task force taken by Jace himself when he was sitting in on a training session. In it, the members either smiled, waved, or looked gravely at the camera, true to each of their personalities. A teenage Cayden was swatting Isabel's hands from ruffling his hair.</p><p>"Did you ever see this boy in the manor?" she asked, pointing to Cayden.</p><p>Dobby looked hesitant. "Dobby has, Katrina Potter. Dobby was tasked with cleaning his wounds. Dobby thought him to be Tristan Parkinson, a friend of Dobby's old master, but as he was healing, his body changed.</p><p>"Polyjuice potion," suggested Harry. "Dobby, why was he at Malfoy Manor?"</p><p>"To devise a terrible plot," said Dobby, wringing his baggy sweater. "He believed He Who Must Not Be Named was not truly gone, as did the man he worked for during the war. He believed that he would return and informed my master that he knew of a weapon that could harm their enemies. The alliance was borne out of desire to take down the great Kane Carlisle as vengeance for his mother."</p><p>"But she was killed by death eaters," said Katrina, puzzled. "Why would he blame Kane and work with a person who was associated with them?"</p><p>"Dobby did not hear everything, miss, but the boy claimed that he was denied a gift passed down from his mother because Kane Carlisle wanted to control him." Dobby's ears drooped as he stepped towards her and Harry. "His mother was rumored to be a siphon. Very dangerous, they are, miss."</p><p>Taking the latest hats knitted by Hermione, Dobby left the common room. Neither Katrina nor Harry said anything, both taking in Dobby's information.</p><p>"It makes sense," she said, tucking the photo in her pocket. "Roger's brother said that their aunt was a taker and under normal circumstances, it could be that she was after their uncle's money and wanted expensive things but what if she was literally a taker?"</p><p>"Literally?" asked Harry, crossing his arms. "What, like she sapped his magic? That's twisted."</p><p>"It must be why Roger's father and Cayden's were estranged," she replied, putting the pieces together. "In the article I found about their deaths, there was a photo of them and Cayden outside their house. He looked so sickly and there was no mention of him being ill. It was from prolonged siphoning. If we hold on for too long, we can absorb a person's energy. Cayden was obsessed with strengthening his magic and if he thought Kane stifled his abilities somehow, it would explain why he wants revenge."</p><p>Harry sat beside her. "And when he was talking to Lucius Malfoy about a weapon, it was you. It's why his men were after you in Hogsmeade. If you siphoned Dumbledore, Voldemort could easily kill him. What if you're the weapon Sirius was referring to? What Voldemort didn't have last time…"</p><p>From the moment she awoke on Wednesday morning, Katrina endured people loudly exclaiming that she was out of the hospital wing and staring at her like she survived fighting off a gang of trolls. Sophie, unable to give her a bone-crushing hug when she saw her in their bedroom, settled for happily hopping up and down in her pajamas. With Roger's memory foggy, a result of Snape's memory charm, no one had the full story of what occurred in Hogsmeade, though Roger was being hailed as her savior.</p><p>Katrina had to nudge Harry a couple times throughout the day when he was getting annoyed by Lavender and Parvati praising the handsome Ravenclaw for his heroics. She did not mind Roger getting the spotlight, preferring not to have it herself, but she was not as appreciative of people treating her like a damsel in distress. That small quibble was kept to herself, knowing she had to play her part to avoid scrutiny from the aurors or her peers.</p><p>Lying that she wanted to speak with her professors about missed lessons, she spent dinner alone in the exercise room, alleviating her stress with training drills. She imagined the dragon-masked man's face on the punching bag as she threw punch after punch. If they were to meet again, she wanted to be prepared for the inevitability of not having magic. Jace had not responded to her message of having intel on Cayden and sending the same to Kane, she received a short reply of <em>Be in touch</em>.</p><p>"Katrina?" Quickly changing out of her training gloves, she pivoted from the bag to Draco standing by the door. "What are you doing in here?"</p><p>"I was um looking for Harry," she lied, hiding her hands in the front pocket of her hoodie.</p><p>"Is he in the punching bag?" he asked, walking over to her.<br/>"Wh—no. My days are mixed up from being in the hospital wing," she said, a reasonable excuse. "He's probably in the common room."</p><p>"I know why you're really here." Katrina contemplated hitting him with a stunning spell. "It's about Hogsmeade, isn't it? Graham spoke with aurors this morning on the pitch. They said you got disarmed and it must've been scary, to not be able to defend yourself. Punching a bag isn't going to help you, to be honest. It's not like we're muggles. If you want, I could teach you how to use wandless magic. My father was teaching me during the summer and I've gotten pretty good at it."</p><p>"Interesting analysis but like I said, I was looking for my brother." He clearly did not believe her. "I should go find him."</p><p>Luck not on her side, his teammates entered the room. Her charm bracelet vibrated against her wrist.</p><p>"Katrina, isn't this a lovely surprise?" Adrian's eyes fell to her shorts. "Very lovely. We were worried you wouldn't make it out of the hospital wing. Glad to see you out and about. Is your Head Boy bodyguard not with you?"</p><p>"Pucey, leave her alone," muttered Draco.</p><p>"Quiet, Draco. Robards interviewed you, didn't he?" asked Adrian. "What did you tell him?"</p><p>"It's none of your business," she said, simply.</p><p>He kept the door shut with his hand. "Actually, it is…because your brother's got a big mouth and he made up stories to Fudge last year after he came back with Diggory's body. You don't want to cross us. You could end up somewhere a lot worse than the hospital wing."</p><p>She met his eyes with a determined gaze. "I told Robards the truth. I didn't get a good look at who attacked me and unlike my brother, I don't make wild accusations without solid proof. If you spent more time thinking with your brain instead of the twig between your legs, you'd be careful about threatening someone because it makes you seem guilty."</p><p>"Cute but you better stick to that story," he hissed.</p><p>Katrina headed up to the seventh floor, following Harry's instructions to the Room of Requirement. As she reached the corridor, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were sneaking through a polished door across from a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls ballet. Katrina hurried forward and held the door open, stepping into a spacious room lit with torches. The walls were lined with wooden bookcases and shelves of objects like secrecy sensors and sneakoscopes and silk cushions were scattered across the floor.</p><p>"Isn't this place great?" Harry asked her, smiling. "Umbridge thought she'd stop us with that stupid decree but she'll have trouble finding us now. The jinx you and Hermione put on that parchment hasn't hit anyone yet, as far as I can tell, but we'll have to keep an eye out."</p><p>By eight o'clock, the rest of the group arrived, admiring the enchanted room. Roger separated from Finn, who was talking to Cho and her friend.</p><p>"Hey, how are you feeling? Do you need to sit down? I wanted to visit you but Madam Pomfrey would've chopped off my head," he rambled. "Robards wasn't too hard on you, was he? He's about as nice as a fire crab."</p><p>"I—I'm good. What about you? Snape said your ribs were cracked," she said, playing dumb.</p><p>"I've been through plenty of pain from quidditch," he said, casually. "When I didn't see you out there, I thought…I should've gotten there sooner. If I had, I could've fought them off before you got hurt. My father said loads of parents went to the Ministry to complain. They were livid that those nutters were able to get into Hogsmeade and Fudge nearly screamed at Liam's mother for suggesting they were death eaters."</p><p>Everyone sat on a cushion, facing Harry. Having all eyes on him, he looked nervous at the realization that he had to start the meeting.</p><p>He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I've been about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and—er—what, Hermione?"</p><p>Her hand was raised. "I think we ought to elect a leader."</p><p>"Harry's leader," said Cho, as though it was obvious.</p><p>Katrina tried not to laugh at the pink in Harry's cheeks. "Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly," continued Hermione. "It makes it formal and gives him authority."</p><p>"Can we have co-leaders?" wondered Hannah. "It could be Harry and Roger. He <em>did</em> save Katrina from being taken by those crazy masked people."</p><p>Doing her best to show no emotion, Katrina felt like wasps were buzzing in her chest. "It wasn't that big of a deal," he said, modestly. "I didn't really—it should be Harry. We agreed to take lessons from him and if he was there, he would've done it too."</p><p>Taking Roger's lead, they agreed to have Harry as the leader, some putting up their hands half-heartedly while side-eyeing the Head Boy. Katrina shot Harry a subtle look that said Let it go, mentally telling herself to take that advice. Hermione interrupted him again, wanting to pick a name for their group,</p><p>After a few names were tossed around, they settled on Ginny's choice of Dumbledore's Army, calling it the D.A. if they spoke of it in public. Writing the name at the top of their list of names, Hermione pinned the parchment on the wall. Harry decided their lesson would be on the disarming charm, a basic but necessary spell.<br/>"I've used it against him," he said, when Zacharias doubted its usefulness. "It saved my life last June but if you think it's beneath you, you can leave."</p><p>Zacharias's mouth hung open, incapable of coming up with a retort. Harry instructed the group to divide into pairs to practice the charm.</p><p>"Do you want to pair up?" Roger asked Katrina. "Unless you want to rest for a bit…"</p><p>Her wand slid out from her sleeve. "Nope, completely rested," she said, her voice constrained. "I'm here to learn, aren't I?"</p><p>The room echoed with shouts of '<em>Expelliarmus</em>!'. Wands flew in every direction and spells ricocheted off the shelves, knocking books to the floor. If Kane witnessed any of this, he would have an aneurysm. It was no wonder they were acting like Roger was an above average duelist. After practicing for a bit with Neville, Harry circled the room to assist the other pairs.</p><p>"Ex—" Roger's wand zoomed out of his hand and into hers. "That was great. I didn't even hear you say the spell."</p><p>Katrina disarmed him ten times in a row. The tenth time, he walked towards her, looking concerned.</p><p>"What's going on? Don't say nothing," he whispered. "Does it have to do with Hogsmeade? It wasn't your fault. No one would expect you to win against three adult wizards. If I didn't catch them off guard, I would've gotten knocked out just as fast. The Slytherins will say they could've beat them but that's not true. They would never have seen those people hiding like you did, Katrina. Don't listen to those idiots. They wish they were half as talented as you."</p><p>Harry blew a whistle, signaling the end of the meeting. Already ten past nine, they needed to return to their common rooms or risk getting caught by Filch for breaking curfew. Not saying anything to Roger, whose words should have comforted her but only angered her more, she stowed her wand in her hoodie and stood next to Harry. Roger would have stayed behind, if not for Finn urging him to leave the room.</p><p>"Are we finally in agreement that Davies is a git?" he said, checking the Marauder's Map for any nearby professors.</p><p>"He's not—I—this is why I didn't want to come to Hogwarts," she mumbled. Harry glanced away from the map. "Kane said I had to act like this clueless girl to sell the story we made up for the Ministry. I know I can't tell everyone the truth but I hate that they're all pitying me. I'm not saying Roger didn't fight but if it wasn't for me, he'd be dead. I'm being stupid."</p><p>"No you're not," he assured her. "Who cares if they want to treat Davies like a hero? By tomorrow, everyone will forget it."</p><p>Unfortunately, Hogsmeade and Roger's 'heroism' were not forgotten. Throughout breakfast, she endured taunts from the Slytherins, calling him her bodyguard and Pansy teasing that she needed him to open a door for her to prevent her from getting a splinter. She kept her eyes on her plate as Roger waved at her from the Ravenclaw table. Towards the end of the meal, Katrina pretending to listen to Fay's reenactment of disarming Sophie twice, McGonagall moved along the table, handing out fliers, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout doing the same with their houses.</p><p>"A dueling seminar? I'm getting Lockhart flashbacks," said Sophie, warily.</p><p>"Must be the aurors teaching it because of what happened Saturday," said Ron, reading the flier. "No morning classes? I don't mind. Umbridge doesn't look happy though. She must suspect it's for Dumbledore to show off his secret army."</p><p>The first to third years were ushered out of the Great Hall by Professor Sprout and Professor Snape, all having the fliers in their hands or stuffed into their bags and hoping to get an early glimpse at the seminar. Rising from his chair, Dumbledore requested the remaining students to stand against the walls and with a wave of his hand, the four tables were replaced with two long golden stages. Katrina expected one of the professors to step forward, learning from Hermione that Flitwick was a former dueling champion, or the arrival of Robards and the aurors stationed in Hogsmeade. A door behind the teachers' table opened, Katrina's heart racing as Kane, Jace, Lukas, and a few MACUSA aurors, who doubled as task force members, entered the Great Hall.</p><p>"Did you know he was coming?" muttered Harry, students beginning to recognize Kane and relaying it to their perplexed classmates.</p><p>Fay looked unusually starstruck while some of the Slytherins looked uneasy, Pansy grimacing at Kane shaking hands with Dumbledore. "No. Why do you think I'm making this face?" replied Katrina, her stomach churning at Lukas. "He wasn't answering my messages so I assumed he was out with the task force. He might be using this as a cover to find out if any children of death eaters have met Cayden. Dueling makes them susceptible to legilimency."</p><p>"What's—" he started.</p><p>Dumbledore silenced the babbling crowd. Umbridge was as visibly uncomfortable as the Slytherins, her face a splotchy purple that clashed with her pink cardigan. Putting her foot down as High Inquisitor against a professor was easier than doing that against a formidable former auror who was as cuddly as a porcupine. As Dumbledore introduced Kane, never overstating their relationship as anything but professional, Katrina could see the gears spinning in Umbridge's head on how to approach the situation.</p><p>"That handsome auror's here again. The one next to him is too," Sophie told Lavender, referring to Lukas and Jace. "I should convince my parents to move to the states."</p><p>Both girls jumped at Kane's booming voice ordering them to huddle in corners by their respective years. The fourth and fifth years were closest to the teachers' table, Hannah waving excitedly at Jace.</p><p>"Mr. Carlisle, perhaps you haven't heard of the decrees the Ministry has in place concerning organizations within the school," Umbridge said to Kane, as students shuffled around to steer clear of the intimidating man. "The Minister—"</p><p>"Yes, I've heard of your latest rules, professor." She looked displeased with him regarding her on a similar level to someone like Trelawney. "How quickly he's churned out these decrees when he's spent years dragging his feet to pass legislation that benefits those under his care. Is a case of children sharing a common interest more pressing than ensuring their safety from those who may wish them harm? After the incident in Hogsmeade, I reached out to Albus myself. Your decree does not apply to a private citizen offering his guidance. Don't you want your students to know how to defend themselves?"</p><p>Listening to his veiled criticism, Professor McGonagall could not fully hide a twitch of her lip. "Their safety is, of course, a top priority, but what occurred in Hogsmeade was an isolated event, not a common one. Our aurors are on high alert for any suspicious activity."</p><p>"As good as you think you are…" Jace disguised his snort as a cough. "They cannot be everywhere at once. Dueling is a fundamental part of our being. I'm not here to teach them how to ruthlessly slaughter an opponent but at least to do better than a disarming charm. If you're finished with this futile argument, I'd like to begin now. You're welcome to write down your remaining grievances for me to read if I ever feel the need."</p><p>"That was amazing," whispered Ron, witnessing the verbal slap.</p><p>"I want you in pairs for the first lesson," Kane commanded, addressing the students. "You'll partner with the person behind you."</p><p>Katrina turned to see Draco, not Anthony who had been behind her. The blonde Ravenclaw was at the opposite end of the line of fifth years, partnered with Zacharias and rubbing his elbow. If they were not surrounded by professors, Harry would have physically forced Draco to switch with Dean, preferring her to be partnered with a friend over his rival. He was about to do just that, despite the chance of receiving detention, until Kane, Jace, and Lukas intervened, the professors, aside from Umbridge, and MACUSA aurors helping to pair up students. Under her sleeves, her fists clenched when she locked eyes with Lukas.</p><p>"You'll be watching from the sidelines, Miss Porter," said Kane, acting as if they were strangers. "I don't want you overwhelmed or triggered."</p><p>"It's Potter," she replied.</p><p>"Is it?" This was Kane's awful humor, designed to entertain himself the most. "You can sit at the staff table."</p><p>"Isn't the point for <em>all</em> of us to participate?" Draco's defiance dwindled at Kane's stony demeanor. "She should be learning too since she was attacked."</p><p>"I didn't realize you were in charge. Will you be gracing us with your prodigious talents, young Malfoy? Has your father taught you his patented move, to let someone else fight his battles while running away?" Lukas and Jace sniggered, their dislike of Draco prevailing over their hatred for each other. "It's not an effective tactic, a coward's move…"</p><p>"He didn't mean it like that," defended Katrina.</p><p>The boys were taken aback, as was Kane but her guardian masked it well. "Until I say otherwise, you'll be an observer. Jace, why don't you set up Malfoy with another pair? He can work with your cousin and Tristan's daughter."</p><p>Grabbing the back of his collar, Jace hauled him towards Hannah and Pansy, the latter dropping her glare the second Draco, who had been quietly cursing, was near her. "I can sit with Katrina, Uncle," offered Lukas, putting on a tone of faux sympathy. "I wouldn't want her to feel left out."</p><p>"She doesn't need a babysitter," said Kane, to her relief. "Go help Aubrey with the seventh years. They'll be overconfident in their abilities and she tends to have a bad temper."</p><p>For a moment, Katrina thought Lukas was about to disagree with him. He rarely stood up to his uncle, especially when given a direct order. With an exaggerated bow, he joined the petite brunette in her early twenties who was threatening to shove her wand up Liam's backside if he did not cease his flirting. Katrina sat at the teachers' table, ready to survey the ensuing chaos of Kane's methods versus students with no defensive training, at least to the degree he deemed suitable, and the professors debating whether to step in if they believed he was being too cruel. Robards and two aurors were positioned by the double doors, conversing with a deeply purple Umbridge.</p><p>Giving a chipper Hannah a hug, a sickening sight to Draco and Pansy, Jace mimed something to Kane and jogged up to the table. "If Kane asks, I'm giving you something from Hannah that you left in her common room. How are you feeling?"<br/>"Fine, sir," she said, speaking formally to play up the ruse of them being acquaintances.</p><p>Jace shivered. "Ooh, sir? Say that again."</p><p>"You're going to get us caught," she whispered. "Robards is watching us."</p><p>"He's jealous of all this," he said, indicating his body. "But you're right. Wanna bet on how long it takes Kane to lose his mind? I've seen him chew out grown men so he'll definitely be whacking one of these kids upside the head, preferably Malfoy. Five galleons on it happening ten minutes in…"</p><p>"You're being generous. I give him two minutes," she joked. "Get back to your group or he'll be whacking you. You and Lukas can compete over how many girls are going to drool over the two of you instead of Roger."</p><p>"The Hogsmeade Hero?" he asked, dramatically. Roger was paired with Selene Carrow. "Didn't he fight off three wizards, an army of trolls, a super big acromantula, and a two-headed dragon? I'm kidding. If you want, I'll knock him down a couple pegs. He favors his…"</p><p>"His left," she finished.</p><p>Having lived with Kane for fifteen years, Katrina knew him better than the older members of the task force. The professors may have been delighted that attempts to disarm had not amounted to anything as catastrophic as a bloody limb or a fire, those in the DA among the least terrible, but Kane's disapproval of such a low benchmark was evident by the tiny flare of his right nostril. Katrina could detect when he was about to explode down to the millisecond, the Great Hall saved from crumbling by him making eye contact with a serene Dumbledore.</p><p>The students soon learned that he lived up to his reputation, their excitement over either successfully casting or almost casting the spell fading faster than a demiguise as he called their performance disappointing for wizards and witches of their ages. Even Umbridge, a major proponent of not teaching defense, did not seem prepared for such a savage response.</p><p>"He's being nice so he doesn't upset Dumbledore," she said to Snape, as he sat in his chair.</p><p>"Is that what he calls it?" Kane was criticizing Draco's posture. "I advised the headmaster against allowing this. If the parents do not send in letters of complaint of Carlisle traumatizing their children, Umbridge will give him an earful."</p><p>"Bet she does that on a daily basis anyway. Kane wants them distracted to probe their minds. He's not a patient man," she lamented. "He'd rather get the answers himself than hope for you to get them from Voldemort. Cayden's a serious threat."</p><p>Roger ran over to the the table. "Professor, Lee's stinging jinx rebounded off the wall and hit Selene in the back. Graham tried to hex him and Lukas stepped in but he might need your help."</p><p>There was a loud commotion amongst the seventh years, spells being shot around the hall. Snape hurried to the growing mass of fighting students, Lee and Graham at its center. As the two seventh years were repelled back by Snape's charm, Katrina felt a stinging pain in her ribs.</p><p>"Taking in all that magic and then losing it must make you sore," said Roger, taking Snape's seat. "You're not used to so much though, are you? What you absorbed in Hogsmeade was immense."</p><p>Though the pain subsided, her bracelet was now viciously tapping against her wrist. "Roger, I don't want to talk about it. Wait, how did you know—" She glanced at him, noting an odd gleam in his dusty green eyes. "Cayden."</p><p>She tensed at his chuckle, its harshness sounding wrong from Roger's mouth. "Impressive. I knew not to underestimate you but you're still surprising me. I wasn't certain if Kane had taken you under his wing but look at you, his new star pupil." His wand pressed into her side under the table. "Don't say anything. I'll be able to tell if you're communicating with him, verbally or not. No cheating by using your bestie Jace either."</p><p>"How are you…where's Roger?" she whispered.</p><p>"I'm borrowing him, you could say. It's a form of dark magic that lets you puppet another person," he explained. "Typically, it requires you to be in the same room or a touch, if they're being difficult, but my abilities surpass normal restrictions. Using someone in your bloodline makes it easy, embarrassingly so depending on the individual. The Dark Lord taught me that. He could teach you too."</p><p>"I'll pass. I'm not on board with his agenda." Cayden smirked at her sarcastic retort. "What do you want? Are you puppeting your cousin so you can kidnap me because your minions failed? Doing it from miles away takes a lot of effort. I doubt you'll make it past the castle's defenses before the link breaks and if this is a desperate attempt to attack Kane, he'll sense you and use that link to find your location. That's pretty sloppy for someone who thinks they're so clever."</p><p>"It is but I'm not here for any of that. I wouldn't get you out of the castle without him catching on. Your devotion to him is sweet but misguided. Kane will only hold you back, like he did with me. You have such potential, Katrina. I can teach you things he'd never dream of…to embrace your gift…" Keeping her frozen with his wand, his hand rested on her thigh. "And not be afraid. You deserve the world. Let me give it to you."</p><p>"G—get off me," she said, worried that she would accidentally siphon Roger.</p><p>He pointed to the crowd, Kane tuning out Umbridge's rant while the professors quelled the students. "Those people out there will never accept you and you know it. Kane wants you broken to manipulate you into doing his bidding." Her head was pounding, that burning feeling from her dreams crawling over her skin. "That's why he kept us apart. He knew that together, we would be unstoppable. I'm all the family you need. You want to come with me."</p><p>"Stop it," she pleaded.</p><p>The table was shaking. "Katrina?" she heard, as she shut her eyes. "Davies, what are you doing? Shove o—"</p><p>"STOP!"</p><p>Reminiscent of what occurred in Hogsmeade, something burst out of her. Katrina would not have opened her eyes if not for the heavy smell of smoke. Her heart sank at what was in front of her: a unobstructed view of the grounds, due to an entire wall of the Great Hall reduced to bits of rubble. That destruction was not limited to a single wall, the one behind the teachers' table and half of the wall surrounding the double doors equally shattered and multiple cracks in what was left of the hall's structure. The golden stages were split in two, the torches extinguished, and everyone but her was sprawled unconscious on the debris-covered floor.</p><p>She spotted Roger's body under one of the toppled chairs. Unsure if he was free of Cayden's control, she took out her wand and was about to check when something else caught her eye. Draco was on the other side of where the table used to be, a hunk of wood piercing his gut and blood pooling around the wound.</p><p>"No, no, no," she mumbled, kneeling beside him. "Draco? I didn't…I don't…I don't know what to do. K—Kane, wake up! I need help! I don't know what to do. Someone help me!"</p><p>Instead of their usual red, her hands glowed silver. Feeling a strange pull, she placed her hands by the wound, the glow spreading from her hands to Draco's entire body. The wood dissolved into thin air and somehow, his wound completely healed, all traces of blood gone. She choked out a sob, wondering if she had gone insane.</p><p>"Katrina." A disoriented Kane rose to his feet, taking in the destruction. "You did this? What caused it? Stop your crying and answer me."</p><p>Picking up a piece of rubble, Katrina chucked it at him with all her might. As he dodged it, she charged forward and began pounding on his chest with her balled up fists, screaming that it was his fault. It had little impact but provided her an outlet for her rage.</p><p>"Cayden was here!" Kane seized both of her hands with one of his own, his eyes wide. "He was possessing Roger with dark magic! While you were pretending you give a damn about teaching kids how to duel, he was sitting right next to me! He wouldn't stop! He kept talking and I couldn't—I just wanted it to stop!"</p><p>"It's all right. He's gone," he said, looking over at Roger's body. "Your magic severed the connection. You're fine."</p><p>"Fine?! How am I fine?!" She gestured to the wreckage. "I could've…I could've killed someone. I almost killed Draco. He wasn't—he had a table leg through his stomach and then I—my hands—I don't—he's all better but what if he wasn't?!"</p><p>Kane pulled her close to console her, his free hand on her back. "Shh. He's not hurt. No one is, Katrina. This isn't your fault. All of this can be fixed and it will be like it never happened. Deep breaths and count back from ten."</p><p>Her tears stained his robes. "Ten…n—nine…" she said, shakily. "Eight…seven…"</p><p>A drowsiness suddenly overcame her and before she could finish, she collapsed against Kane.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Apologies for the delay. I’ve been without power for the past week so it interfered with my writing. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Who Are You?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>The windowless corridor seemed to stretch for miles, no end in sight. Her heels clicked against the smooth stone floor, the muffled whispers becoming clearer with each step. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't put limitations on yourself. You're capable of more than you realize and concentration is key."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hogwarts is off the table for now. It's a matter of safety. You've made great strides but your magic is evolving faster than you're learning control and if you're allowed around others, you could do damage not only to your classmates but to yourself. You need to remain hidden."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It'll be our secret. He thinks you aren't ready but I bet you could do it without breaking a sweat. Try it on this painting…absorb its magic and use that to create fire. Don't take too much or he'll know what we're up to. You know I wouldn't hurt you, maravilla." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The walls of the corridor crumbled to pieces, revealing a dark cavern. A fire crackled from within, illuminating a set of runes. All of the voices mixed together, sounding like warbled birds. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's not your fault he locked me away. He's giving me another chance. When I come back, I'll teach you everything. Forget about Ilvermorny…or Hogwarts…they're a waste of your gifts."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Chimaera is the way."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"This isn't your fault. All of this can be fixed and it will be like it never happened. Deep breaths and count back from ten."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"T—three…two…one."</em>
</p><p>Snapping out of the dream, she looked around the steel room, shivering from the cold. A ball of light flickered above her head, growing fainter by the second. Six strangers were lying face-down on the floor, the bits of visible skin ghostly white and blackened veins on the back of their hands. There were indents in the walls, marked by thin red lines that extended to the meeting point between the floor and wall. Unable to figure out her location, she hopped down from the cot and stumbled over to the door.</p><p>She retracted her hand the moment it grasped the handle, something pricking her thumb. Wiping away the drop of blood, she made another attempt, maintaining her grip despite the increasingly burning sensation, and just as the handle began to budge, she was lifted off her feet and landed harshly in the middle of a dirt path. A metal pole in front of her had signs in every direction, <em>Hogwarts</em> written on the top sign. Brushing the dirt from her backside, she followed the road to the enormous castle in the distance. The burning sensation lingered in her hand, the pain twice as bad in her fingertips.</p><p>"Katrina?"</p><p>Landing on the grass, a boy abandoned his sleek black and silver broom and sped towards her. A fluttery feeling swelled inside her chest.</p><p>About to rest his hand on her arm, he instead passed it through his white-blonde hair. "Where have you been? Snape told me you were having a panic attack from watching the dueling seminar and when you went to the hospital wing, your wounds were opening again. He said you went to St. Mungo's but Pansy's uncle is a healer there and when I asked, he didn't know anything about it. Why were you coming up from Hogsmeade? Were the healers too lazy to bring you to the castle? My father always says they're incompetent. It's a wonder why he donates to them."</p><p>She smiled at the boy. "Hello. Do I know you?"</p><p>His relief became uncertainty. "If you're trying to mess with me, it's not funny. You shouldn't joke about—you're being serious. Katrina, it's me. It's Draco."</p><p>"It's nice to meet you. Who's Katrina?" she asked, curiously.</p><p>"That's your name. Come sit down," he said, leading her to a wooden bench. "Were you hit with a memory charm? Don't answer that. If you were, you wouldn't know it."</p><p>A light shined on the end of a thin, polished stick. "Wow, how'd you do that?"</p><p>"It's magic. You can do it too. Just sit and watch my wand." He held the wand over her eyes. "Definitely a memory charm. How did this—we need to get you to Dumbledore but he's in a meeting with the professors. I've been reading a few NEWT level books lately. Maybe I can fix this. What's the last thing you remember? I need you to think really hard. Think about the seminar. You were talking to Davies and got upset."</p><p>Struggling with details as basic as her name, Katrina tried to do as she was told, her mind drawing blanks. As she started to remember the smell of smoke and a sense of dread creeping down her spine, she froze, her hand against her cheek. Her eyes flickered to Draco, his face a combination of fear and hopefulness, and she traced a circle on his chest, through the dark green material.</p><p>There was something off about the color. "Why are you wearing this?"</p><p>Draco lifted his gaze from her hand lightly pressed on his chest. "T—they're my quidditch robes. I'm the seeker for Slytherin. Remember how I told you about making this impossible catch in my third year against Davies? Ringing any bells?"</p><p>"I don't have one," she said, showing him her empty hands. "Do you live in that big castle?"</p><p>"Graham, don't you dare ignore me!" she heard.</p><p>A group of boys, dressed similarly to Draco and carrying the same brooms, descended down the hill, the most muscular boy being berated by a girl in a matching long-sleeved dress. They were arguing about another girl acting flirtatious with him during breakfast. The tall, dark-haired boy to his right joked that the angered girl, Selene, would hex the other boy's affectionate mother. Raising the pitch of his voice to imitate her, he stopped at the sight of Draco and Katrina.</p><p>"Scandal. Draco's taking girls to the pitch before practice. What will Pansy say?" he teased. "When did you get out of St. Mungo's, mini Potter? Going to freak out in the Great Hall again?"</p><p>"I thought my name was Katrina," she said to a tense Draco. She turned to the puzzled teenagers. "Hello. Nice to meet you."</p><p>Draco explained that she was affected by a memory charm. A sympathetic Selene sat beside her on the bench.</p><p>"She's not faking it, you troll," she hissed at the heckling boy. "She didn't forget everything. On the surface, she did but whatever memories are still there are buried deep inside her subconscious. There's a reason she was able to find her way here."</p><p>"What if those lunatics who attacked her did this?" suggested Draco. "Made her forget so they could try to snatch her again…"</p><p>"Then why not just take her?" replied the muscular boy, sounding skeptical. "Don't bring it up. That's the last thing we want her to remember, unless you want to be questioned by that dolt Robards."</p><p>"You're being paranoid over nothing. He already questioned her and any other witnesses and after a week, they have no leads. Stop bringing it up before it <em>does</em> become a problem." Selene faced Katrina, taking out a wand. "If we make a simple connection, I can use that to reverse the charm. Katrina, tell me what you saw when you woke up. Describe the hospital room. What was on the walls?"</p><p>Her mind was, once again, blank. The earliest memory she could recall was meeting Drew…no, Draco. A sudden hunger brewed inside her, diverting her focus to Selene's hand inches from hers on the bench. Some invisible energy was radiating from her hand, enticing Katrina. Shaken out of her unusual thoughts by Selene's voice, she heard her tell the boys to begin their quidditch practice while she kept an eye on Katrina until someone named Snape finished his meeting. She joined Selene in the stands surrounding the field, watching the boys fly around on their brooms and toss around a red ball. Cheering for Graham, the muscular boy, Selene blew him a kiss.</p><p>"Why did you do that?" Katrina asked, as Graham's cheeks reddened from the gesture.</p><p>Graham chucked the ball at the snickering boy she had called a troll. "Because he's my boyfriend. Well, technically he's my fiancé but he's too embarrassed to say so in front of his friends," she said, throwing back her curly chestnut brown hair and showing off a diamond ring that sparkled in the sunlight.</p><p>Katrina admired the ring. "Do I have one? A boyfriend?"</p><p>"Not that I know of and trust me, I'd know it. The walls of Hogwarts are notoriously thin and if a boy did manage to break through your shell, it would be big news," said Selene, taking out a compact mirror to check her face. "With everything you've been through, I doubt you're ready for a relationship. I've never seen you so much as high five a person and relationships are a bit more intimate. Plus I know someone who's hoping to take you off the market."</p><p>"Cayden?" Selene closed her mirror. "That name keeps popping up in my head. Is he another friend of mine?"</p><p>"Don't think there's a Hogwarts student with that name. He could be one of the healers who was treating you at St. Mungo's," she said, watching Graham perform a fancy maneuver on his broom. "Once Snape is out of his meeting, he'll sort out your memories. We'll sit and watch their practice where you're in absolutely no danger…except cheesy lines from boys who consider their mere presence a gift to girls."</p><p>Katrina could not get the name out of her thoughts. There had to be a reason that it survived whatever magic had affected her. Was he, as Selene believed, someone who had been helping her or of greater significance? As the practice continued, Draco searching for an object called a golden snitch, Selene complained about an invasion from the Ravenclaws. Seven teenagers, five boys and two girls, walked towards the pitch, wearing robes like Draco and his friends except theirs were sapphire blue. The shorter of the two girls was wiping her tear-stained cheeks, a common occurrence according to Selene. Half-listening to her empathize with the tearful girl, Katrina was drawn to the dark-haired boy in the middle, that inner dread resurfacing as she noticed his green eyes.</p><p>Everything within her told her to get far away from him. Not caring about her lack of memories, she ran down the wooden steps and towards the dirt path she had landed in before finding Draco. Sprinting past the metal pole, she moved through a crowded village, red and yellow leaves crunching beneath her heels, and did not stop until she was in a mountainous area, recognizing a circular crack in the ground.</p><p>Her ears perked at the soft crunch of a leaf. "Ka—"</p><p>Without hesitation, she smacked a hand that was near her shoulder and swept her attacker's leg, knocking them to the ground. Draco was beneath her, one of her knees digging into his throat. Relaxing slightly, she shifted her knee, allowing him to release a shaky breath while he remained on his back.</p><p>"How the—you—where did that come from?" he asked, winded. "I didn't mean to frighten you. Why did you run?"</p><p>"I saw…" An image of the dark-haired boy, lying on his back like Draco and his shirt torn, flashed through her mind. "I've been here."</p><p>Draco sat up, holding his knee. "You're remembering? That's good. Maybe we don't need Snape. These men in masks were trying to kidnap you. Davies came to your rescue and I found you bleeding pretty badly but of course, everyone thinks he's such a—you were running from Davies, weren't you? Why were you scared of him? What did he say to you before you went to the hospital wing? Come on, he has to be sparking something in your mind. It can't be coincidence. Think about the day he saved you. He was chasing off those maniacs and then—"</p><p>"I saved him," she finished. Her fingers grazed her side. "He was unconscious and I fought but then my magic stopped working and I was bleeding. I couldn't see his face. He was going to take me but then…they disappeared…no, they…he grabbed me and…you were bleeding too…"</p><p>"Slow down," said Draco, gently. "You're not making sense. One memory at a time so let's focus on Hogsmeade. You were out here with those people in masks and Davies—"</p><p>"Harry was angry so I showed him…Jace was…y—you were dying…" He was acting like she spoke gibberish. "Everyone was hurt…Roger grabbed—no, he was pretending and he wouldn't stop…I broke everything and no one could help…I wanted it to stop…there was blood everywhere and I fixed it…that's what he wanted…he was inside…chimaera…he's not dead…"</p><p>Katrina stiffened as he carefully placed his hand over hers, a scarlet red glove preventing any skin to skin contact. "Katrina, I wasn't dying or bleeding anywhere, believe me. The only time I bled this year was when Daphne was aiming at Theodore to get back her Witch Weekly and she jinxed me instead. Unless you were hiding in the common room, you weren't there for that. Your memories must be meshing together and you're thinking about yourself. What do you mean Davies was pretend—"<br/>
Cutting him off, she simultaneously pushed him onto his back and reached out, catching a glowing arrow that had been aimed at Draco's chest. The arrow disintegrated in her hand, intensifying the burning feeling that had subsided during quidditch practice. An older man was standing by a broken wooden sign, a patch, with an engraved M, on the right-hand side of his black cloak.</p><p>"Why are you trying to hurt my boyfriend?" she asked, glaring.</p><p>As he stood up, fighting the pain in his knee, he looked at her, stunned. "Did you say—whoa, whoa, put your wand down." He moved between her and the man, who had not yet spoken a word. "Katrina, that's Savage. He's an auror, a good guy. They've been stationed in Hogsmeade since those men attacked you. He must've thought we were trespassing."</p><p>Katrina refused to lower her wand, sensing the same uneasiness that lingered around the dark-haired boy. "Actually, your little girlfriend has quicker reflexes than I expected. I won't miss again" insisted Savage.</p><p>Knocking Draco aside to avoid a stinging hex, she appeared in front of Savage, noting an odd gleam in his eyes. His wand flew out of his hand, landing in the dewy grass. As he started towards her, she grabbed his wrist in a vice-like grip, a strange energy seeping through the fabric of her glove. Savage's knees began to buckle, his arm turning pale as a sheet. A voice in her head was urging her to take his other wrist but before she could, her hands were pinned behind her back, something sharp pricking her neck.</p><p>She fought against whoever was holding her, wanting to feed the hunger growing within her body. "It's all right. I've got you. Take it easy, kitty cat."</p><p>A drowsiness overcame her, causing her head to sag onto their shoulder. When she awoke, she was lying on a bed covered in silk sheets, her cheek resting against something firm.</p><p>She lifted her head to see Lukas. "Sleeping beauty awakes." He brushed the hair out of her face. "You had everyone worried. We weren't sure where you'd run off to but you're home now, Katrina. You're lucky I found you when I did or Malfoy might've done something terrible. He's a real snake, trying to trick you when he knows your mind's all jumbled."</p><p>"I remember you…L—Lukas?" she said, tentatively. "I—I was looking for you. I don't know w—I think I do but I don't. I remember wanting to be with you."</p><p>Moving his hand through her tousled hair, he curled a few strands around his fingers. "Don't strain yourself. That memory charm Cayden cast did a number on you. If you're remembering me, that's a good sign. You knew I'd keep you safe, like I always do."</p><p>"That auror. We should—" He shook his head. "But he could hurt Draco."</p><p>"It was a trap set by Malfoy," he explained. "His father cast an imperius curse on Savage to get to you. He's not your friend. Look at the pain he's put you in…your hands must still be burning. Let me get a potion to help with that. It tastes awful so I'll have the house elves prepare your favorite breakfast to make it easier to swallow. Why don't you take a shower and I'll put out a change of clothes?"</p><p>"I—I don't want you to leave," she pleaded.</p><p>"I'd never do that." He delicately kissed her forehead. "I'll be in the kitchen."<br/>
Once he left the room, Katrina entered the connecting bathroom and stared at herself in the ornate mirror. A wisp of black smoke lingered in her emerald green eyes. She absentmindedly twisted the wolf charm on her bracelet. Hearing Lukas call out to her, after what felt like hours, she changed out of her clothes, tossing her white button down blouse, black pleated skirt, and gloves onto the tile floor.</p><p>"You don't have to be afraid. It's only us," he assured her. "I sent a message to my uncle but he's on a top-secret assignment so it might be awhile before he gets it. He'll be able to reverse that memory charm and you'll be good as new."</p><p>She opened the door. "No rush. At least we're together."</p><p>"Always so optimis—"</p><p>As he turned towards her, he almost dropped the silver goblet. He lowered it onto the tray of food, his expression matching the hunger she had experienced when touching Savage as he glanced over her short lacy black robe.</p><p>"I'm remembering more. How you take care of me and you were right about that Malfoy guy. You saved me and now I want to return the favor." Pushing him down on the bed, she untied the robe and straddled his lap. "Don't you want to play with your kitty cat?"</p><p>"More than anything," he replied, reaching for her waist.</p><p>Katrina smacked his hand with the belt of her robe. "No touching. That's against the rules. I said I wanted to take care of you. You just enjoy it," she whispered, nipping his earlobe. "Your little kitty wants to please you."</p><p>"Kat," he groaned.</p><p>Taking his hand, she left a trail of kisses down his forearm, stopping at his tattoo. She shivered from the tingling sensation that tickled her lips.</p><p>"You feel so much better than Savage or Andrews," she said, grinding her hips. "It feels too good to stop. Promise me you won't tell Kane? It can be a secret. Like how you're working for Cayden…"</p><p>Just as she held a knife from the tray to his throat, he headbutted her and flipped her over, pouring the contents of the silver goblet. Noticing that her siphon abilities were no longer affecting him, despite her hand on his wrist, she realized that it was Cayden's potion. The fast-acting venom weakened her and he pinned her hands above her head, the knife falling from her grasp. Peeking out of his left sleeve was a chimaera tattoo.</p><p>"If that mudblood friend of hers does convince Dumbledore to put on a play, you should try out," he said, with a quiet chuckle. "That was some impeccable acting, kitty cat. You really had me fooled. It was draining Savage, wasn't it? It reversed the memory charm I cast while Kane had you locked up until you weren't panicking over almost killing some of your worthless classmates. I was doing you a favor."</p><p>"By brainwashing me?" she countered, disgusted. "You're the one who's helping that lunatic. It was you that day in Hogsmeade. I had a hunch when I grabbed you. What about his agenda is so appealing? You're in the papers every other week for some daring mission, you're not struggling for money or attention…so tell me, what's so worth betraying your team and Kane, the man who helped raise you?"</p><p>His thumb traced her bottom lip. "You. You're worth more than all that. I'd kill my uncle without a second thought if it meant I could have you, Katrina, but you'd hate me for that because you were trapped with him day after day and now you have an undeserved loyalty to him. He doesn't give damn about you. If he couldn't keep you under his thumb, he'd slit your throat before you took another step. It's what he did to Cayden years ago. What makes you different?"</p><p>"I don't want anything to do with him or you," she spat.</p><p>He grabbed her throat roughly. "I'm trying to protect you! Why can't you understand that?! I'm doing this because I love you. Every time some pathetic girl throws herself at me, I think of you. How I wish it was you in my bed, the one screaming my name…" Still weak from the venom, she tugged at his hand. "But how can I expect you to love me back when you've been sheltered all this time? Maybe Cayden's right. How can you understand love from a man who only cares for himself? Maybe I'll take what I want until all of his manipulations are stripped away and you can see the truth…that you love me too."</p><p>Following a loud bang, a jet of red light zipped past the open door and as Lukas apparated, it struck the headboard, creating a small burn mark. The last thing she expected was for Snape to walk into the room and though she hastily covered her robe with the blanket, it did not scene any less awkward. Kane and Jace were the next to enter, prepared to fight Lukas, and she blushed as she met Jace's gaze. Under the impression that something improper had happened, he was prevented from asking questions, due to Kane ordering him to inspect the lower floor of the house. Not yet acknowledging her, Kane headed into the bathroom.</p><p>"Judging by your expression, you've regained your memories," said Snape, having a staring contest with the nearest wall. "How did you achieve that? Did you make contact with Carlisle while he kept you here?"</p><p>"No. Someone—I'm guessing Lukas—he cast an imperius curse on an auror that was in Hogsmeade. He tried to attack Malfoy and I stopped him. I siphoned him and then my memories came back," she admitted. "I remembered Kane bringing me home because of what I did to the Great Hall and then Lukas coming in with my dinner. He must've cast the memory charm when I was eating but then I went to Hogwarts before he could take me to Cayden. I wasn't sure until I saw his tattoo and he blamed my memory loss on him."</p><p>"And yet when you contacted Kane using your bracelet, you chose not to lock yourself in the bathroom until he arrived?" he asked, taking off his cloak.</p><p>She pulled the cloak over her head. "Well, I wanted to catch him off guard before Kane showed up. I didn't know he had the venom in that goblet but Kane always says that it's easy for a woman to distract a man."</p><p>If Snape was staring any harder, there would be two eye-shaped holes in the wall. Leaving the bathroom, he tossed her clothes onto the bed and told her to meet them downstairs. She changed back into her uniform, keeping on Snape's cloak. Halfway down the staircase, Jace blocked her, warning that Kane and Snape were having a 'heated discussion'.</p><p>"Snape ordered me out and soundproofed the room." Jace frowned, looking at her neck. "That scumbag—"</p><p>"It's fine," she said, healing the assumed bruises with her wand. "He didn't do anything else, thank Merlin."</p><p>"When I find him, he'll need a cane to stand for trial," he muttered.</p><p>"Being chucked in Azkaban will be punishment enough. Why did Snape come with you?" she asked, wondering how the potions professor ended up tagging along with him and Kane.</p><p>He clearly appreciated the change of topic. "Malfoy. Your magic must've been interfering with that traitor's memory charm and you knocked us out in your sleep. We all woke up with massive headaches and I was barely able to see straight before Kane was dragging me out the door to find you and he got a message through the fire from Snape. Malfoy was waiting for him outside Dumbledore's office and said that Savage was acting weird and Lukas knocked him out and offered to take you back to St. Mungo's instead of taking you to the hospital wing. We were already suspicious that he searched for you without waking us first and then Kane got your distress signal."</p><p>The charm wore off from the door, allowing them to hear the conversation. "Yes, stand behind Dumbledore as your shield, just as you've done for the past fourteen years. I won't be lectured by the pitiful likes of you. Let's not pretend that you're objecting to my teachings out of some holier than thou mortality. You simply can't separate the past from the present. If you believe your wise leader can't see it, you're deluding yourself."</p><p>When the door opened, both men were unreadable yet carried a distinct charged tension between them. Kane instructed Jace to return to Hogwarts with Snape and wait for him in Dumbledore's office. Jace gave Katrina's arm a quick squeeze before he and Snape, who was continuing to avoid any eye contact, apparated out of the house.</p><p>Kane gripped her chin, twisting her head side to side. "Impressive. You siphoned and managed to contain your hunger on your own."</p><p>"Were you talking to Professor Snape about me?" she asked, as he released her chin. "I—is he mad that I tried to restrain Lukas myself? I would've had him if—"</p><p>"You did nothing wrong, no matter what halfwits tell you." He took a vial of yellow liquid from Snape's cloak. "Clever to ingest the potion so we can fully break down its components. Best not to mention that to Jace. I'll inform Albus that you wish to recover from the ordeal at home and we'll work on an antidote."</p><p>"You mean <em>I'll</em> work on it. Last potion you tried to decipher from those kooks in Barcelona, you almost lost a thumb," she pointed out.</p><p>Amused, Kane put the vial in his back pocket. "Did you get any useful information out of my ungrateful nephew? He's always been a wild one but to abandon all he's learned…"</p><p>"For me." It was her first time revealing Lukas's feelings to a person other than Jace. "He said that he loves me and having me would be worth betraying the team. For some reason, he's convinced that working for Cayden equals us having a happily ever after."</p><p>"Interesting." It was the mild reaction she expected from him. "Birds of a foolish feather flock together, I suppose."</p><p>Dumbledore was not as easily swayed by Kane's deceptions, like the affable President Kowalski, conceding to his request on the condition that Katrina return to Hogwarts by Monday morning. It did not give her much of a chance to study the potion that she had to painfully extract from her body, unbeknownst to everyone except Kane. While her guardian was hardly a connoisseur of potions, Cayden's skill was nothing to scoff at, the contents of the potion incredibly complex. Unable to remain at home, she and Kane planned to exchange notes through their two-way mirrors.</p><p>Lukas was nowhere to be found, evading detection and his absence being explained away by Mr. Moore as family business. The members of the task force had not taken his new allegiances well, some worse than others, and were determined to bring him to justice. Considering Cayden's alliance with Voldemort, Kane tasked Katrina with listening for any possible clues to their whereabouts from the children of suspected death eaters but she doubted that Cayden would be careless enough to let his secrets be exposed by lewd toads like Adrian Pucey.</p><p>Early Monday morning, Katrina returned to the castle and went to the library for potions research. Madam Pince was too busy dusting the shelves to watch her with hawkish intensity. Against her better judgement, she slowly inched towards the restricted section, certain that Cayden's potion involved dark magic.</p><p>"Katrina?" She turned from the shelf she had been feigning interest in, closest to the thick red rope that guarded her target, to find Draco, his bag sitting atop their usual table. "They let you out of St. Mungo's? No wonky memory charms?"</p><p>"Nope, memories intact. You're here early, or even more surprising, at all," she commented. "What are you doing in here?"</p><p>"Could ask you the same." He glanced at the shelves behind her. "Why are you looking at books on niffler care?"</p><p>"Thank you," she said, to distract him. "For um—I remember you helping me when I wasn't exactly myself. It must've been such a burden so thank you for not letting me wander around alone and end up in the Forbidden Forest or something."</p><p>"It wasn't a burden. You remember everything?" As she nodded, he stepped closer. "Like calling me your boyfriend?"</p><p>"When I was completely out of my mind?" Her remark did not erase his smug smirk. "I could hardly keep track of my own name. I wouldn't read into it."</p><p>"If you say so," he taunted. "If you're worried about Carlisle getting jealous, I wouldn't be. He was practically devouring the face of that Aubrey girl who works with him at MACUSA. The one who wanted to throttle Chambers at the dueling seminar? Theo had to switch seats with his mother to save his eyesight."</p><p>Maybe finding Lukas would not be that difficult. If he was with Aubrey, it was likely that she was part of Chimaera.</p><p>"Are you going to be busy after your first lesson?" She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I uh was hoping you could help me catch up on what I missed. We could go somewhere quieter like the Astronomy Tower or—"</p><p>"Yes," he replied, rather quickly. "It's quiet, like you said, and there's a lot that you missed so we wouldn't want to be interrupted. I'll meet you up there."</p><p>"Okay. I should go find my brother. He's probably waiting for me in the common room. Bye," she said, with a small wave.</p><p>Instead of the Gryffindor common room, she continued down the grand staircase, writing a message to Kane. She slipped the mirror into her robes, almost colliding with someone as she reached the second floor. Her heart raced, seeing Roger. Though she knew that he had been possessed by Cayden, the sight of him put her on edge, part of her wary that, at any moment, it could happen again, and in addition to a possible possession, she was still sore over the misplaced attention he received for 'rescuing' her in Hogsmeade.</p><p>"Katrina, you're back," he said, relieved. "But I knew that already. McGonagall was talking to me and Patricia about checking on you. Not that you need a bodyguard or anything."</p><p>"Great. I'm hungry," she mumbled.</p><p>"Wait." He moved in front of her. "Either I'm going crazy or things have been weird between us. Did I upset you somehow?"</p><p>"I don't want to talk right now," she said, walking past him.</p><p>"Too bad. We have to talk about this" Freezing on the steps, she watched as he pulled out a stack of parchment from his bag, the notes she had gathered on Cayden and possible incidents related to Chimaera. "I asked Harry if he heard from St. Mungo's and instead, he showed me these. Robberies, killings, attacks and sightings of people in masks like the ones who attacked you. Why are you obsessing over them? You can't move on if you—"</p><p>"Roger, give them to me," she insisted.</p><p>"So you can drive yourself mad? There are aurors guarding Hogsmeade so it can't happen again but these notes you've written, it's like you want to find them. Talk to me, Katrina," he said, hiding the papers behind his back. "Don't push me away. I'm your friend. Who's Cayden? Did he work with the death eater who kidnapped you? Was he there the day of the attack? We could've shown these to the aurors to help them—"</p><p>Casting a sleeping spell, she levitated Roger into an empty classroom and removed any memories of Cayden. The bell rang, signaling the end of breakfast. Stuffing the papers into her bag, she headed to History of Magic where the Gryffindors greeted her, having not seen her since Kane brought her home. Sophie, trying her hardest not to squeeze the life out of Katrina, was happy to settle for bumping elbows. As they entered the classroom, Binns floating through the chalkboard, she grabbed Harry's arm. It was a miracle that she restrained herself enough to not bash his face into the door.</p><p>"You walk in that room, I'll break your arm," she hissed. "What the hell are you playing at? Blabbing about Cayden to Roger. Is it a boneheaded scheme you made up to break our friendship? It wasn't enough that I was giving him the cold shoulder?"</p><p>If it were not for her humorless expression, he would have laughed at her. "I wouldn't do that," he said, concerned. "I didn't say anything to Roger. I've spent the past week hounding McGonagall to tell me how you were, scared out of my mind that you were worse off than she said, Katrina. Why would I tell him about a cousin he knows nothing about?"</p><p>"Well, someone did and if it wasn't you, then it was someone in this castle who knows about him and where I was hiding my research," she said, releasing his arm. "I knocked him out and erased those memories but it's a problem."</p><p>"It had to be a Slytherin. Maybe it was Malfoy," he suggested. "You spend all those hours with him in the library, <em>studying</em>, so what if he hexed your quill or parchment to find those papers? He could've been brewing polyjuice potion. Snape wouldn't care if he went through his private stores to get the ingredients."</p><p>Binns was droning on about clashes between giant clans. "Don't spiral into conspiracy theories. We can't rule anyone out but we have to be smart about this. No charging at Slytherins in the middle of the corridor. I don't need you in the hospital wing."</p><p>To the Gryffindors, Katrina appeared to be as spaced out as the rest of them, aside from Hermione, but in actuality, her mind was in overdrive, attempting to figure out who would be skilled enough to impersonate Harry. She had ruled out a minion of Cayden's breaking into the castle, Kane fortifying its enchantments to detect a wizard despite the use of disguising charms or potions. Cayden himself would be unable to 'puppet' Harry, not being blood related or in the same room, the strain of such dark magic too much of a risk.</p><p>After History of Magic, she lied about having to meet Dumbledore in his office and sneaked up to the Astronomy Tower. Draco arrived minutes later, as she laid a checkered blanket on the floor.</p><p>"It's colder up here than I thought," she said, lighting the torches around the room.</p><p>He joined her on the blanket, taking his bag off his shoulder. "You <em>did</em> pick the spot. I'm not insinuating anything but if people were to pass by, they might think this is a date."</p><p>"Remember when I told you I like you better when you don't talk?" She retrieved a container of frosted brownies from her bag. "Do you want one? I uh made them to…thank you again, for being there for me."</p><p>"I didn't know you bake. They're not poisoned, are they?" he joked, biting into a brownie. "Wow. These are amazing."</p><p>"Hilarious," she said, sarcastically.</p><p>"I'm serious. Best I've ever had, but don't tell my mother that." He stifled a yawn. "Sorry. Late night listening to a match in the common room. Where do you want to start?"</p><p>In an instant, he collapsed onto the floor, his eyes shut and the partially eaten brownie rolling onto the blanket. Resting her head in his lap, she tapped his forehead with her wand, the charm sending her into his memory of Lukas. She was in a fancy restaurant, Draco, Theodore, Pansy, and Daphne sitting around a long table with their families. They appeared to be having brunch. Draco was paying more attention to the eggs on his plate than the babbling Pansy, who was gushing over their shared family plans for Christmas vacation.</p><p>Theodore nudged his side, breaking him out of his stupor. "As if having to listen to my father insinuate I'm a disappointment compared to my older brother didn't make this unbearable, look who's here. This place has definitely lowered its standards if they're letting in Carlisle."</p><p>He nodded towards a well-dressed couple in their twenties being given a nearby table. Katrina was, at first, confused why Theodore would believe the man, who was thin and lanky, to be Lukas, until she stood behind Draco, touching the sides of his head. Now seeing what he saw, the couple transformed into Lukas and Aubrey. It was a complex charm that altered perception, allowing a witch or wizard to alter their appearance around specific people to avoid enemies.</p><p>"How long are you going to sulk?" Aubrey asked him, flipping through her menu. "You deserved it for being unable to keep your twig in your pants. If you ask me, he was being lenient."</p><p>"I didn't ask you," Lukas snarled. "The plan was to bring her to him. I had to ensure that the memory charm hadn't failed."</p><p>"Yeah, that's why. Where is he?" Ignoring Lukas's harsh glare, her eyes darted around the restaurant. "I hate when people are late. I bet he doesn't even have it."</p><p>Katrina spotted a third place setting on the table. "Why are you here?"</p><p>"My thoughts exactly," said a familiar voice.</p><p>With a tug on her navel, she was brought back to the Astronomy Tower, an unconscious Draco on her lap and a furious Snape standing across from her.</p><p>"P—professor, I was—" she stuttered, struggling to find a good excuse.</p><p>"I'm well aware of what you were doing. When I inquired Miss Dunbar and Miss Roper of your whereabouts, they said something rather interesting…that you were meeting with the headmaster, who is not in his office, and here I find you, engaging in magic far beyond your understanding," he said, seething with a silent anger. "Did Carlisle put you up to this?"</p><p>"No. I—Malfoy told me he saw Lukas and I wanted to find out what he was doing." Shrinking under his gaze, she scooted back, placing Draco's head on the blanket. "It was my idea. I've done it before and I was only going to do it for a couple minutes. He's fine. If you just let me try again, I can find Lukas."</p><p>"And why is that your responsibility?" He did not wait for an answer. "Despite what Carlisle thinks, you are not one of his soldiers. You are meant to be focusing on your studies, not searching for rogue aurors and former pupils or delving into your classmate's memories!"</p><p>"Kane's not <em>making</em> me do anything," she argued. "I told you it was my idea. Why is it so bad that I want to help?"</p><p>"Because I won't see you put in danger, Lily!" he shouted.</p><p>Katrina's eyes widened at his words. Snape's face was ghostly pale, his body rigid as a plank as his thoughts seemed to catch up with what had come out of his mouth.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Apologies for the long wait. I'm going to try to update more frequently, as best as I can. All feedback is appreciated. Thanks for reading! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Lion vs Snake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next few days were some of the most stress-inducing of Katrina's life and that included the week that Katrina was given the responsibility of caring for a newly hatched Hungarian Horntail, Kane retrieving the egg to use its scales in potions and misjudging its exact hatching time by three days. With him away on a mission in Brazil, she was left to contain the creature and extinguish its multiple, pint-sized fires in her bedroom. Back then, it seemed like nothing could compare, Kane coming home to find an eight year old Katrina in oven mitts chasing after the unruly dragon with a fireproof box, but that was before she was dealt her current dilemmas.</p><p>Having to conceal a part of herself hampered her ability to enact the numerous tactics she learned from Kane. If she was not forced to conform to her fabricated past as a helpless girl held hostage by a crazed death eater, she would have discovered who in the castle had imitated her brother and was an ally to the maniac who treated her like a possession and his equally insane, romantically obsessed minion. All she could tell Kane, thanks to her venture into Draco's memories, was that Aubrey was involved with Chimaera. The Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry was another obstacle, Katrina unable to speak with a Slytherin without drawing attention and even if she sidestepped that issue, they would never speak to her civilly, due to her Gryffindor status and being Harry Potter's sister.</p><p>Left with limited options, she settled for spying, from a distance, with Harry, though their time was stretched thin between lessons, mountains of homework, quidditch practice, and DA meetings. Having to juggle three quidditch practices, the defense meetings were staggered and to better communicate with its members, Hermione cast a protean charm on a set of fake galleons, the numbers changing to match Harry's coin to reflect a future date. At the first meeting since Katrina's return, she sat to the side with Harry, pretending that Dumbledore instructed her to not overexert herself. In reality, it was an excuse to observe her classmates, to dispel the scenario she considered that the culprit was a student outside of Slytherin. The only believable student, out of the group, was Zacharias Smith, who continued criticizing Harry behind his back, but from what she heard from Hannah, during a private conversation in Herbology, he had been in the hospital wing the previous week, having his arm broken by a bludger during quidditch practice.</p><p>Her desire to solve the puzzle of Cayden's secret ally was driven partly by her second dilemma, Snape. Ever since he found her in the Astronomy Tower, he had not spoken a word to her and there was an unspoken, lingering tension in any space they shared, whether that was the Potions classroom or passing each other in the corridor. She had not forgotten how, in the heat of the moment, he referred to her by her mother's name. Aware of the vitriol he held for her father, she thought it was peculiar that he had confused her for her mother, with such desperation in his tone.</p><p>The morning of the first quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, when she was not lost in her own thoughts, she was comforting an increasingly anxious and sweaty Ron contemplating drowning himself in his bowl of cereal. The childish taunts from the Slytherins had affected him the most, not used to the endless snide remarks that his teammates endured for years. Katrina was displeased to see Draco imitating Ron dropping a quaffle whenever he was near, his performance drawing laughter from his peers.</p><p>As Harry and Ron stood up from the table, Katrina, Hermione, and Sophie wishing them good luck and Fay giving a half-hearted nod of support, she grabbed the pitcher of water, side-eyeing the Slytherins openly mocking both boys and taking a brief glimpse at her mirror. She had been messaging Jace throughout the morning, to bounce ideas back and forth on how to find the imposter. While she appreciated Harry's help, Jace had experience in the matter, from the task force and being an auror, as opposed to her brother immediately accusing someone for the slightest odd behavior.</p><p><em>I've got a plan. Keep you posted</em>, she wrote, watching Graham rub a lipstick stain from his cheek and muttering at a pouty Selene.</p><p>People began to leave the Great Hall to get their seats for the match. Instead of joining Sophie and Fay, she sidled over to the Ravenclaw table, where Roger was pinching Finn's arm in response to a comment about Luna's life-sized, lion's head hat. Liam scrunched his nose, still sore over her 'embarrassing' him but not willing to vocalize his disdain to his friends.</p><p>Considering she had been rather cold to him, Roger looked surprised, not remembering that they had spoken when she returned to the castle. Finn made a point of checking his watch and urging their friends to leave the table.</p><p>"Hi. I um…I know I've been weird around you lately and you must think it's your fault but it's mine." Roger started to open his mouth. "It is and I decided to bottle up my feelings. I get enough attention from my brother's outbursts and just being me so I didn't want to add to that. I was mad at myself for what happened, for getting in that situation."</p><p>"Katrina, you didn't do anything wrong," he protested.</p><p>"I felt like I was back there…in that basement with that death eater," she said, sniffling. "I'm not mad that you saved me but hearing everyone talk about it, it made me feel like that's all I'll ever be, the helpless girl who couldn't fight back."</p><p>"No one thinks that and if they do, their opinion is a load of dung. What happened in the past doesn't define you, Katrina," he said, compassionately. "All that matters is what you do with your life in the present. The fact that you survived shows how strong you are and you're not helpless. You shouldn't keep everything bottled up. If you ever need to talk, I'll always be there to listen."</p><p>Wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye, she reached into her peacoat. "I'm not used to these things but Sophie says it helps when she has to make up with a friend." She held out a braided bracelet, an eagle charm dangling from the blue and bronze string. "I don't know if it works for boys but you could call it a makeup gift? If it's stupid, you can say so. I should've asked Harry."</p><p>Roger chuckled, taking the bracelet. "Are you kidding? A way to show off my Ravenclaw pride and made by you? I'll never take it off." He slipped it onto his wrist. "Do you want to sit together for the match?"</p><p>"Sure," she agreed. "But I have to check on my brother…in case Slytherin hexed him into believing he's a chicken. I'll meet you in the stands."</p><p>Following Ginny and her friends out the door, she headed to the changing rooms and wrote another message ("He's wearing it") to Jace. A banner hung across the Slytherin doorway, <em>You're the greatest, Draco. Love, Pansy</em> dwarfing the other written words of encouragement.</p><p>"Katrina?" Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were walking towards the changing rooms. "The Gryffindor rooms are on the opposite end."</p><p>"I'm not looking for my brother," she said, as his bulky bodyguards trudged through the doorway, their heads scraping the bottom of the banner.</p><p>"Really?" he asked, leaning on the wall. He clasped a crown-shaped badge in his hand. "Why's that? Did the Gryffindors send you to hex me before the match? I was waiting for one of the Weasley twins or Dunbar, as payback for charring her skirt during Potions. In my defense, I didn't think Nott would go through with the dare."</p><p>"I wanted to wish you luck. I thought it would cause less of an uproar if I did it down here." She acknowledge the banner. "Sorry I didn't write on it but Pansy didn't leave much space, did she?"</p><p>"Don't let your brother hear you being so nice to me or he might have a heart attack," he joked. "If I win, maybe we could go to Hogsmeade to celebrate, the tw—"</p><p>"Draco, quit flirting and get your head in the game." Graham and the rest of the team rounded the corner. "Get changed into your robes."</p><p>"Good luck," she repeated.</p><p>Bundling her sleeves over her scarlet red mittens, she gave him a small hug, her hands moving around him and back to her sides at lightning speed. Draco staggered backwards, having hit the brick wall as he turned his head. A pink tinge to his cheeks, his eyes shut, and a hand over his nose, he blindly stumbled into the changing room. As she passed the older boys, Adrian teasing her for a kiss for good luck ("Tongue makes it really good luck," he advised, making Cassius Warrington snigger), she stopped, just as she was closest to Graham.</p><p>"You dropped this." Bending down, she picked up a crumpled piece of parchment. "Here you go."</p><p>"It's not mine," Graham dismissed.</p><p>"It has your name on it." She handed him the parchment. "But to be sure, you should read it."</p><p>Climbing up the steps to the Ravenclaw section of the stands, she noticed silver crown-shaped badges, like the one Draco had in his hand, pinned to the sweaters and coats of every Slytherin but they were too far away for her to read the inscription. Roger was showing a similar badge to the other Ravenclaws, their faces a mix of exasperation and disgust. When he saw Katrina, he was not quick enough to hide it in his pocket.</p><p>The phrase <em>Weasley Is Our King</em> was etched on the badge. "A third year gave it to me. She was too scared to go to Snape in case the Slytherins found out she snitched so I talked to him and all he said was that badges aren't against the rules."</p><p>"Of course he didn't care. He probably came up with the idea," argued Lisa. "They pull these stunts all the time. Why would this year be any different?"</p><p>Madam Hooch, the flying instructor and quidditch referee, was in the center of the field, both teams marching out to wild cheers and whistles. Mirroring their housemates, the Slytherin team wore the offensive badges. To them, it was a funny prank but Katrina disagreed, viewing them as a cheap shot to get under an already panicked Ron's skin. Once they mounted their brooms, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the match began, the players shooting into the air with the quaffle, bludgers, and golden snitch.</p><p>The match was extremely fast-paced, the teams zooming around the field as red and green blurs. Lee provided an interesting commentary, reprimanded by McGonagall for his wistful comments on Angelina rejecting him for a date. Harry and Draco were circling the field above the constant action, searching for the snitch. In the midst of Roger explaining to her how the Slytherin team relied on strength over strategy, she heard singing from the Slytherins, their voices drowning out Lee and the cheers from the other houses.</p><p>
  <em>Weasley cannot save a thing,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>He cannot block a single ring,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>That's why Slytherins all sing:</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Weasley is our King.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Weasley was born in a bin,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>He always lets the Quaffle in,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Weasley will make sure we win,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Weasley is our King.</em>
</p><p>"Idiots, the lot of them," said Sue, draping Liam's jacket on her shoulders. "Bet Runcorn wrote it when she was too busy to pay attention during choir practice…and she wonders why Flitwick never gives her a solo."</p><p>Pansy, at the front of the stands, moved her hands like a conductor. The foul song was affecting the visibly shaken Ron, who was hovering between the three goal hoops as Cassius approached, the quaffle tucked under his arm.</p><p>"Ooh, way off," said Finn, as the quaffle soared through Ron's outstretched arms.</p><p>"Can't Madam Hooch do something?" asked Katrina, listening to the Slytherins start another chorus. "It's not fair to Ron."</p><p>"It's immature but like the badges, not against any rules," lamented Roger. "The best he can do is tune them out."</p><p>That was not as simple as it sounded, the Slytherins shouting the lyrics to the point that Lee's commentary was inaudible. Harry had been stationary in the air, forgetting about the snitch to check on Ron, and looked over at Katrina in the stands, both knowing that Ron's low confidence was plummeting further by the minute. To their dismay, Ron let in three more goals but Angelina managed to score on Miles Bletchley. Katrina's cheers were cut short by Harry almost being struck in the head by a bludger, thanks to Crabbe, who, along with Goyle, seemed intent on injuring him.</p><p>"Go Harry!" she shouted, watching him fly towards the golden snitch hovering at the Slytherin side of the pitch.</p><p>Everyone else realized that he had spotted the tiny, fluttering ball, Draco included, and waited for the impending end of the match. Neck and neck, either could have grabbed the snitch but Harry succeeded, the pitch erupting in cheers from the Gryffindors.</p><p>
  <em>WHAM!</em>
</p><p>Crabbe had swung another bludger at him, striking Harry in the back and knocking him off his broom, leading to a round of jeers for his sleazy stunt. Blowing her shrill whistle, a furious Madam Hooch raced towards the dimwitted Slytherin. Katrina was about to leave the stands to help Harry, until she heard a spiteful snigger.</p><p>"Maybe he'll get another scar he can brag about," Liam quipped, Sue giggling with him.</p><p>"That's not funny!" Roger stepped between her and the unapologetic Liam, reminding her of the day he tried to fight Harry. "He could've hurt him. Shut up or—"</p><p>"Or what, Potter?" He swatted Roger's hand from his chest. "No, I'm so tired of you defending this demented brat just to score an easy shag."</p><p>"Liam!" shouted Stella Fawcett, another seventh year, appalled.</p><p>Katrina imagined herself ripping off his head, using Kane's breathing exercises to stay calm despite the growing urge to pummel him. "I'm not going to do anything because scum like you doesn't deserve a fraction of my attention."</p><p>Feeling her entire body shake, she hurried down the wooden staircase, finding her brother in an argument with Draco, who was directing his rage over the match at him and the Weasleys. He hinted at the song the Slytherins had been singing, implying that it was his idea. The Gryffindor team, minus Ron, halted their triumphant cheers, Angelina holding Fred back and Harry doing the same with George as Draco called Mrs. Weasley fat and ugly and her husband a useless loser. Katrina had heard him insult the Gryffindors countless times but never to this vicious degree. It took the combined strength of Angelina, Katie, and Alicia to restrain Fred from attacking Draco. Some Slytherins were off to the side, snickering at the taunts.</p><p>"But you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter?" he asked, sneering. "Spend holidays and everything there, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink but I suppose when you've been dragged up by muggles, even the Weasleys' hovel smells okay…or perhaps, you can remember what <em>your</em> mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it."</p><p>It all happened in the blink of an eye. Harry and George sprinted at Draco, tackling him to the ground and throwing punch after punch. Pansy was shrieking like a banshee, fearing for her 'precious Drakie', the crowd was bellowing from the stands, Fred was itching to get his own hands around Draco's throat, and Adrian and Graham moved to join the fight, prevented by Katrina's ice charm freezing their shoes to the grass. Flicking her wand, she cast an impediment jinx, separating the three boys.</p><p>Katrina kneeled beside a dizzy Harry, helping him sit up to check his injuries. Before she could heal a scrape on his chin, Madam Hooch interfered, absolutely livid with Harry and George.</p><p>"What do you think you're doing?" she screamed. "I've never seen behavior like it. Back up to the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House's office! Go! Now!"</p><p>Katrina expected her to punish Draco for his role in the fight. "But Madam Hooch—"</p><p>"Quiet, Miss Potter! Both of you, to your head of house!" Harry squeezed Katrina's hand before departing the pitch with George. "Absolutely disgusting behavior. There's no reason for you to be standing around. All of you, return to the castle."</p><p>Wanting to accompany Harry but certain that McGonagall would shut her out, she stayed on the pitch, her heart pounding like a drum in her ears. She could faintly hear Katie's voice, telling her to come back to the common room. Wiping blood from his nose, Draco looked at her, aware that he was caught in his putrid act. What mental gymnastics would he pull to downplay his actions?</p><p>The daisies near her began to wilt, their petals falling one by one. "Katrina, I wasn't—let me—"</p><p>Not caring if she accidentally siphoned him, she pushed him back to the ground. "Am I supposed to ignore the last two minutes?" He stood up, wincing. "You can't say things like that, not to my brother or anyone."</p><p>"I'm allowed to be angry that we lost," he replied, a poor excuse. "Is it my fault Weasley's such a terrible keeper? Last I checked, I'm in Slytherin and we don't get along with Gryffindors. It's the way things are…been that way for centuries so why would it be any different now?"</p><p>"Because you don't have to be what other people think you are" she snapped. "I guess it's my fault for thinking you didn't have to act like a carbon copy of your father but I was wrong! You're exactly like him so congratulations! You really have it perfected, the posturing, that stupid smirk that's practically tattooed on your face, and the heartless insults about people you deem inferior…"</p><p>"Why do you care so much? You didn't even know your mother!" Draco froze, the anger immediately draining from his face. "I didn't mean—"</p><p>"No, you did," she interrupted. "Thank you for the reminder."</p><p>Katrina stormed off, tears stinging her eyes. These were not the fake tears she drummed up to fool Roger in the Great Hall. She was halfway up the path when she felt someone grab her wrist.</p><p>Spinning on her heel, she pointed her wand at Draco. "You don't touch me! Don't <em>ever</em> touch me!"</p><p>"K—Katrina, please. Let me ex—forgive me," he implored.</p><p>"So you can keep spying on me for your father?" She shut him up for the second time. "You're not that clever. I've known your game from day one and I've been the one playing you, ever since you convinced Umbridge that you'd be an oh so amazing mentor to me. Everything since then has been me pretending to give you what you want. The truth is that you're not worth any of the calories I burn talking to you day after day in that library, acting like the airhead seals who clap their manicured flippers whenever you do something as simple as pick up a fork."</p><p>"Wh—I haven't been doing that," he said, Katrina scoffing at his foolish attempt to trick her.</p><p>"Spare me your bullshit. If your father wants to get information from me, he can be a fucking man and get it from me himself! I don't owe you anything, Malfoy," she snarled. "You made your feelings very clear so it's my turn. This mentor garbage is over but you won't say that to Umbridge. Don't talk to me, don't look at me."</p><p>"Katrina—" Roger appeared beside her. "Davies, sod off!"</p><p>"Go slither back to your common room. You've done enough." Nostrils flaring, Draco did not move, challenging the head boy. "Go or I'll have a long chat with the headmaster about you and your friends sneaking around past curfew, on nights that you weren't on patrol. You're lucky all you've got is a bloody nose."</p><p>Instead of the castle, Roger brought her to the empty courtyard where people spent breaks between classes. Water flowed in the fountain at the center, frost intertwining with the vines that covered its stone base. Sitting by the fountain, she pulled her knees to her chest.</p><p>"Remember my offer this morning? No expiration date on it," he whispered. "What Malfoy said…"</p><p>A tear trickled down her cheek. "He's sort of right, isn't he? I don't know her. Harry doesn't remember them much either but at least he was with them for a bit. My parents died, thinking that I was dead."</p><p>Conjuring a handkerchief, he handed it to her. "Malfoy and right don't belong in the same sentence. I've known him longer than you and this is what people like him do. They lash out and dig at the worst thing to make you feel as bad. It's what they thrive on like some twisted leech." She blinked back tears. "And I bet your parents never stopped thinking about you."</p><p>Her head rested on his shoulder, the closest she had gotten to anyone at Hogwarts besides Harry. She was unsure if it was her being vulnerable or needing comfort in that moment from a person she trusted outside of her usual, undeniably small bubble.</p><p>"I should've punched him," she mumbled.</p><p>"Your brother probably has detention until the end of the year. No need to add you to that list, no matter how satisfying it would be." He let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry about Liam. This situation with his dad has him acting out. His case was dismissed but now his coworkers aren't treating him that well and Liam wants him to lie that he was being forced to support Dumbledore but he refuses to let them win."</p><p>"I can handle it but if he gets in my face again, I can't promise I won't hex his nose off," she warned.</p><p>Roger grinned. "I'll tell him. I have to meet with Flitwick about career stuff. If you want, I can walk you back to your common room."</p><p>"I'll manage." She glanced at his watch. "McGonagall should be done yelling at Harry soon so I should be there for emotional support as he rants about Malfoy."</p><p>Separating from Roger on the second floor, Katrina left him to visit Flitwick's office and continued to the fourth floor, entering an empty classroom. Seconds later, the door swung open, followed by an enraged Graham.</p><p>"What the hell is this?" he asked, holding up the parchment she had given him outside the changing rooms.</p><p>"Dear Graham, I know your secret," she recited, picking up a lion figurine on the windowsill. "If you don't want me to rat you out, meet me in the empty classroom on the fourth floor across from the bust of Merlin at 12:30. Sincerely, Katrina. Sounds pretty straightforward to me."</p><p>"Is this a prank you and your deranged brother came up with? I'm not falling for it." An invisible barrier formed in the doorway, blocking his exit. "Don't test me, Potter."</p><p>He took out his wand. "Oh, I wouldn't do that. It's going to repel any magic not cast by me. You must not want those secrets to get out, with that temper." Lowering his wand, he faced her. "Yeah, secrets as in plural. You're trying to figure out if it's that you've been cheating on your girlf—wait, fiancee, isn't she? You like to keep that word hush hush. It's crazy how she hasn't caught on when you're sloppy but maybe she's too in love to be observant. Like how you're top of the class in Transfiguration but then you have Layla Rosier tutoring you in the library. It's smart, to pick a class that Selene isn't in so she doesn't know her fiancé and her bestie are lying."</p><p>"Whatever insanity you've dreamt up, Selene would never believe you. Reverse the spell before I count to three or you're going to regret being trapped in here with me," he threatened.</p><p>"Wow, I was going to say that to <em>you</em>." She twirled her finger. "Why don't you read the back of the note, Casanova?"</p><p>A second message appeared on the parchment. It detailed how Selene and Layla would receive identical notes from Graham, instructing the girls to meet him in the Astronomy section of the library. When they arrived at the location, Selene's note would reflect Layla's and expose her beloved fiancé's infidelity by guiding her to Layla's missing diamond earring that had fallen off a few nights ago during their 'tutoring' session and the 'LR + GM' etched on the underside of a table. Katrina had added a time delay to her handiwork, giving Graham five minutes to be honest with her.</p><p>"You're bluffing," he hissed. "You couldn't—what have I done that makes you want to meddle in my life? Is this some convoluted way to get payback for Draco's stunt on the pitch today?"</p><p>"Can we skip this pointless dance around the obvious? That you broke into my room by masquerading as my brother? That you're awfully chummy with Lukas if he gave you that ring?" She indicated the silver ring on his right hand, a phoenix etched in the ruby. "Interesting since Draco's told me how much you despise the Carlisles yet you're wearing an authentic Carlisle ring. See, during the first war, there was all this hype and praise for Kane Carlisle and merchants capitalized on it by making copies of his family ring but they got the crest wrong. They put a dragon inside the ruby because he was called the fearsome dragon of North America but actually, his family crest is a phoenix."</p><p>"You're nuttier than what the <em>Daily Prophet</em>'s been writing," he said, putting on a clueless facade. "Maybe you need to go back to the hospital wing, have Madam Pomfrey take a second look."</p><p>"I can speed up the timing of my spell," she offered. He bit the inside of his cheek. "You're not half as crafty as your inflated ego from years of undeserved praise for the luck of being born into a wealthy, pompous family has you thinking, Montague. The real Carlisle rings are enchanted to communicate with those wearing it and I'm guessing Lukas gave you his mother's, which he was saving after she tried to pawn it for money years ago. What was your endgame in telling Roger about Cayden? Is he being petty about failing three times at getting me?"</p><p>Graham stared at her, a dozen emotions flickering through his dark eyes. "Fine, you want to lay the cards on the table? I know the truth about where you've been, how you were holed up in Kane Carlisle's home and not being held prisoner by that idiot Crispin Lee, and yes, I'm briefly putting aside my hatred of that arrogant prat because it gets me something that I want."</p><p>"And what's that? Breaking mommy out of Azkaban?" she asked, reading about his mother's imprisonment months before Voldemort's downfall. "Is Daddy not pushing for her freedom and you prefer her over that trophy wife of a stepmother who graduated in your second year? Cayden promised to get her out faster so you'll feign complete loyalty to Voldemort and have a side hustle? That's risky and if you don't want it to become public knowledge, you're going to give me every communication you have with Lukas. I don't care if it was you exchanging workout routines. I'll give you the day. You've got an angry girlfriend to deal with, don't you?"</p><p>"You said if I was honest, you'd reverse the spell!" he said, as she headed towards the door.</p><p>"And it's been five minutes and forty seconds." She pouted at the incensed Slytherin. "Someone needs to work on that temper."</p><p>Graham was about to attack her until she removed one of her mittens. It proved her hunch that Lukas had informed him of her gifts.</p><p>"Did he mention that my abilities don't always require touch? Not as reliable but I can put in the effort with the proper motivation," she said, nonchalantly. "This conversation stays private and I'll remind you that I was trained by the best so I have ways of keeping an eye on you. I'll be in touch. I'd say I'm rooting for you lovebirds but she can do better."</p><p>If a stranger entered the Gryffindor common room, they would be under the impression that it was the aftermath of a funeral, not a quidditch victory. All around the room, her housemates' faces reflected anger and sadness. A miserable Harry was sitting around the fireplace with Hermione and the Gryffindor team, Ron absent among them. While McGonagall's choice of punishment was a week of detention for their 'disgraceful exhibition' of muggle fighting, Umbridge interrupted, presenting her with the latest Ministry decree that stemmed from McGonagall beseeching Dumbledore to override Umbridge's decision to not reform the Gryffindor team.</p><p>The new decree bestowed final authority on punishments to Umbridge as High Inquisitor, allowing her to alter decisions made by the professors. With her new authority, she banned Harry, Fred, and George from the team and confiscated their brooms.<br/>"There has to be a loophole," said Fay, sitting on the couch with Sophie and Neville. "Dumbledore's the headmaster. That toad can't have a higher authority than him."</p><p>"That'll be next, I suppose, making her a super headmaster…" said Fred, bitterly.</p><p>"Where have you been?" Harry asked Katrina, turning away from the fireplace. "Hermione said you got into it with Malfoy after I left and what that snotty ferret said about—I'll punch him again, until his whole face is black and blue."</p><p>"He's not worth it," she said, opting to not relive what occurred on the pitch. "I was with Roger. He wanted to calm me down before I hexed Malfoy or Chambers. He and Sue were laughing when you got hit by the bludger."</p><p>Sophie made a gagging noise. "God, her standards are low. Of course she'd settle for trash like Chambers. It'd be either him or a flobberworm."</p><p>"Dumbledore will find a way to lift the ban," Katrina assured him. "She can't keep you from playing quidditch forever."</p><p>Draco paced in front of Snape's office, moving back and forth for such a long time that his shoes were staining the floor with scuff marks. The potions professor had not yet returned from the pitch, busy dealing with Crabbe for striking Potter with the bludger after the match, but Draco preferred standing outside his door to being in the common room, where Pansy and the girls would treat him like he suffered excruciating torture. How had he screwed up this badly? How had he gone from Katrina being willing to give him her best version of a hug to her viewing him as a disgusting insect? It was utterly mental that he was heartened by the bare minimum of physical touch, Katrina having to, adorably, bundle her hands in her sleeves, when he received more from an elderly woman at a Ministry party raving about how he resembled his handsome father.</p><p>His mind kept redirecting his blame to Potter. Her damn brother had to spoil that fleeting happiness, humiliating him by catching the snitch, and though he would gladly blame Potter, it was his words that caused the mess. He wished he had a time turner to reverse his mistake, to stop himself before Katrina heard a single insult.</p><p>"If you've come to convince me to lift Mister Crabbe's punishment, our newest educational decree leaves it out of my hands," said Snape, walking along the shadowy corridor. "He did injure a player after the match had ended but Professor Umbridge settled on a minor sentence of writing lines. Admittedly, to him, that must seem severe."</p><p>"It's not about Crabbe, sir. Before term started, my father told me to speak to you if I was having issues," said Draco, a tight feeling in his gut. "It's about Katrina Potter."</p><p>Snape's hand hovered over the door handle, a minute part of his stoic expression faltering then back within seconds. Stepping into his office, Draco sat in the high-backed armchair by the fireplace and disclosed his father's orders to befriend Katrina to get possible secrets from her about her brother and Dumbledore. It was unsurprising that Snape was privy to the plan, his face unchanged at Katrina's reveal of knowing the plan and putting on an act to deceive him.</p><p>He was looking at an herb inside a vial on his desk, its stem momentarily switching from yellow to red. "I <em>did</em> warn your father that such a scheme was not without its faults. A man like Dumbledore doesn't get his reputation by being gullible. He was prepared for the Dark Lord attempting to use the children of his followers to get to the Potters."</p><p>"But I haven't written him," confessed Draco. "I haven't sent any letters. I've tried but what am I supposed to put in them? That she likes to draw or tells the weirdest jokes that shouldn't be funny but they are when she says them or how her—he doesn't want to hear that, professor."</p><p>"Why do I have the sense this isn't about your father's ill-fated plan?" asked Snape, placing the vial in his drawer.</p><p>"I thought I was finally getting her to trust me and now she's imagining my head on a spike." A giant lump formed in his throat. "I don't want her to be mad at me. What do I say to her?"</p><p>"Unfortunately, there is no magical solution to understanding the intricacies of a teenage girl, Draco," he said, sagely. "Like her brother, Miss Potter can be stubborn and your apologies will bounce off her like an imperturbable charm. If regaining her trust is that important to you, I'd recommend—"</p><p>A loud bang, like a cannon, rang outside the office, accompanied by screams. Snape opened the door to Layla, half of her face covered in bright red boils, being chased by a bat-bogey hex and Graham dodging spell after spell being thrown by a fearsome Selene. Her blasting curse narrowly missed his head, tearing an enormous hole in the wall behind him.</p><p>"Finite!" cried Snape.</p><p>The bats ceased swarming Layla, who was curled up in a ball. Disarming Selene, he kept her apart from a wary Graham with a shield charm.</p><p>"What is the meaning of this? Miss Carrow, control yourself!" he said, physically preventing her from strangling her boyfriend.</p><p>Growling, Selene reached over Snape. "I'm going to skin you alive, you traitorous worm!"</p><p>Hiding under the invisibility cloak, crouched between Harry and Hermione, Ron's eyes were on the dungeons entrance. Late into the night, he had climbed through the portrait hole to the Gryffindor common room, sulking over his performance on the field. Hearing about Umbridge's quidditch ban only worsened his guilt but Hermione cheered him and Harry up, seeing that the lights were on in Hagrid's cabin. Deciding to pay him a visit, they sneaked out with the invisibility cloak, a tough task for four teenagers, and halted at the sound of piercing screams and breaking glass.</p><p>"What do you reckon that's about?" asked Ron, Snape and Selene's voices carrying through the door and scaring the portraits.</p><p>"I heard a rumor that Montague was sneaking around behind Carrow's back," whispered Katrina. "With Run…Rook…Rosier, maybe? Carrow must've found out."</p><p>"Well, let's go before Snape gets fed up and takes it out on us," encouraged Harry, guiding them out of the castle.</p><p>Hagrid's cabin stood out in the darkness, smoke coiling up from the chimney and into the pitch black sky. Trekking through the thickening snow, they approached the cabin, a dog barking frantically as Harry knocked on the front door. For the first time since sitting in McGonagall's office, Harry smiled at Hagrid's gruff voice, but it fell when they saw the state of their friend.</p><p>"Merlin's beard, keep it down!" he said hastily, at Hermione's scream. "Under that cloak, are yeh? Well, get in, get in!"</p><p>Squeezing past him, they pulled off the invisibility cloak. Katrina had never met anyone with giant blood before but she wondered how it took an article from a tabloid reporter like Rita Skeeter for others to deduce his unique heritage. He was twice as tall as an average man, at least eleven feet, and three times as wide, his hands the size of trash bin lids. His hair was matted with congealed blood, his face littered with fresh cuts, and his left eye was surrounded by a mass of purple and black bruises. Dodging Harry's questions about his injuries, he limped from the door, placing a copper kettle over the fire. A large boarhound danced around, hopping on its hind legs to slobber Katrina's cheek.</p><p>"I'm tellin' yeh, I'm fine. Blimey, it's good ter see you three again." Peering around with a pained grin, he noticed Katrina petting the dog. "Yeh mus' be Katrina. Look at yeh, all grown up."</p><p>"Nice to meet you," she said, kindly.</p><p>"Yeh're a spittin' image of your mother." A tear fell from his swollen eye. "Shame your parents never saw yeh two together. They didn' deserve ter not see yeh alive and well."</p><p>The tender moment was ruined by Harry, Hermione, and Ron pestering him for answers, referring to the scrapes and bruises. They suspected that his mission involved giants but Hagrid did not appear eager to share the details, calling them nosy. Slapping a green-tinged piece of dragon meat over his eye, a resigned Hagrid recounted his mission to find the giants, after learning about Harry's encounter with dementors over the summer. He had traveled with Madam Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons and a supposed half-giant herself though she favored the term big-boned.</p><p>Ron sipped from a bucket-sized mug. "A month?" he asked, incredulous at the long journey. "But—why couldn't you just grab a portkey or something?"</p><p>"So they couldn't be tracked," said Katrina, peering out the frosty window with his dog (Fang, according to Harry) nudging her leg. "Magic leaves a signature behind and a skilled wizard could use it to pinpoint a specific person. It's why Kane travels like a muggle on stealth missions."</p><p>"Tha's right. We're bein' watched, Ron," said Hagrid, adjusting the steak. "The Ministry's keepin' an eye on Dumbledore an' anyone they reckon's in league with him."</p><p>As Hagrid spoke about shaking off the Ministry official tailing them in France and finding a giant tribe in the mountains, Katrina examined his collection of herbs on a shelf. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were enraptured by his tale of meeting with the leader of the giants and running into trouble with the leader being killed and replaced by another, less friendly giant and the presence of death eaters hoping to sway them to Voldemort's side.<br/>Katrina placed a bowl of purple paste on the table, freshly mashed from his herbs. "Your cuts will get infected. It'll tingle for awhile but then it absorbs into the skin. Kane's a baby when it comes to his injuries too so I had to make pastes like these that make it look like he's tough and naturally healing."</p><p>"Tha's sweet of yeh, Katrina, but I'll be fine…" She dropped a wooden spoon into the bowl. "Yeh get that stubbornness from yer dad. I'll try it soon as I'm done talkin'. Now where was I? Oh, then, in abou' the sixth cave, we found three giants hidin'."</p><p>The mission had not been a complete success, the leader raiding the caves of the giants they befriended and the survivors deciding not to join the fight against Voldemort. Despite the setback, Hagrid was optimistic that a couple of the giants would change their minds, persuaded by Dumbledore's friendliness towards their kind. Beginning to apply the paste to his cuts, he clammed up when questioned about what caused them and why Maxime returned without him.</p><p>Sealing the glass jars, Katrina spotted a squat figure in the distance. "Someone's out there. Harry, someone's coming towards the cabin."</p><p>"You're seeing things. Hagrid, how—ow!" She had smacked his head with a tea towel. "Katrina!"</p><p>"My vision's better than yours," she said, tossing him the cloak. "Get under it. I'll stall."</p><p>Phasing through the wall with a charm, she blended into the cabin, holding her breath in spite of the chilly air. Umbridge, dressed in a green tweed cloak and matching hat with earflaps, strolled up to the door and rapped on it repeatedly, Fang barking in response. Katrina tiptoed closer as the door opened, listening to her speak to Hagrid like he was deaf. She warded off an excited Fang with her handbag and introduced herself, surveying every inch of the cabin.</p><p>Whether she knew who was inside was unclear but her scrutinizing gaze suggested that she knew Hagrid was not alone, explicitly telling him that she heard voices. She was not deceived by Hagrid's explanation of talking to Fang or that the footprints in the snow leading up to the cabin were from an earlier visitor, at a loss for words when she noted the footprints solely faced one direction. Switching to interrogate him over his injuries, she was dissatisfied with his vague answers for his absence.</p><p>"Yes, as gamekeeper, fresh air must be so difficult to come by," she said in that sickly sweet voice.</p><p>"Well…change o' scene, yeh know," he muttered. Her mention of mountain scenery could not be a lucky guess. "Mountains? Nope, south of France fer me. Bit o' sun an'…an' sea."</p><p>He blamed his lack of a tan on sensitive skin. "I shall, of course, be informing the Minister of your late return. You ought to know too that as High Inquisitor, it is my unfortunate but necessary duty to inspect my fellow teachers so I daresay we shall meet again soon enough."</p><p>"You're inspectin' us?" asked Hagrid, confused.</p><p>"Oh yes," she said, nearing a corner where a speck of Ron's shoe was visible under the tea towel. "The Ministry is determined to weed out unsatisfactory teachers, Hagrid."</p><p>"Hi professor!" Katrina exclaimed, causing her head to whip around to the doorway.</p><p>"Miss Potter, what are you doing out on the grounds at this time of night?" she asked, aghast.</p><p>Katrina jumped in the snow. "Is it night? Oh yeah, it is…I was supposed to meet Draco in the library. He's the nicest and really smart. He's like the best student in the whole school. I was going there and then my head felt funny and I wanted to play in the snow. I've never seen snow before. Did you see my footprints?" She smiled at Hagrid, who had caught onto her ruse. "Whoa, you're big. I like your house. My brother's famous. I'll give you a hint."</p><p>Cupping her hands like circles, she placed them over her eyes. "You made these footprints?" echoed Umbridge, slowly. "Miss Potter."</p><p>"Yeah. I hopped back and forth to make some bigger and then I hid behind the house. I'm sneaky," she said, with a high-pitched giggle. "Do you want to play hide and seek with me?"</p><p>"I will be taking you to the castle, dear. Wandering alone at night is not safe for a young lady like yourself, certainly not a place like this." Umbridge steered her away from the cabin. "Let's get you inside and I will reverse that nasty confundus charm."</p><p>Resembling a motherly figure, she brought Katrina into the castle and lifted the presumed confundus charm that had addled her mind. Katrina thanked her, claiming to not see her attacker, and waited in the Gryffindor common room, Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurrying through the portrait hole.</p><p>"That was good acting, Katrina," praised Ron. "For a minute, I thought you <em>were</em> Harry."</p><p>Grabbing a pillow from the couch, Harry chucked it at her. "I needed to sell it. If I didn't, Umbridge could've caught you. How about a thank you? Like this." She put her hands over her eyes again. "Thank you, Katrina."</p><p>"Harry!" admonished Hermione, as he made a rude hand gesture. "He won't say it but I will. Thank you. It was quick thinking. I'm going to Hagrid's tomorrow to help with his lesson plans. Would you like to come with me? He wasn't listening to me about how horrid Umbridge is but maybe two voices are better than one."</p><p>The next morning, Katrina awoke before the other girls and checked the Marauder's Map, having taken it from Harry's pocket on his way to bed. She slipped it back into his trunk while he slept and left the castle, hiding behind a gargoyle statue to drink the muddy contents of a vial in her bag. Her insides writhed, the burning feeling spread throughout her body as her limbs lengthened and her hair grew past her shoulders. Taking out her mirror, she was greeted by Selene's reflection, her tanned face framed by her curly brown hair. She walked to the quidditch pitch, where Graham was flying around the field. As he flew around one of the goal hoops, he dove back to the ground and climbed off his broom.</p><p>"Selene," he said, cautiously. "Hear me out. Like I was trying to tell you in Snape's office, Layla and I were a one time thing. Whatever that note said, it was a lie. She means nothing to me."<br/>"Aw, trouble in paradise?" she asked, leaning against the wooden post. "I'm shocked."</p><p>"Potter," he snarled. "What are you doing?"</p><p>"Kane packed me lots of useful potions, for my safety. We had a deal, teddy bear," she reminded him, using Selene's cutesy nickname. "It's not as conspicuous if I look like your heartbroken girlfriend. The fact that you don't get that proves you're not in the creepy inner circle, more a bottom of the barrel goon. It's a brand new day so I'm here to collect. Shall we sit in the stands where anyone who passes by will think we're having a mature conversation about our relationship and if it has a future?"</p><p>Mumbling a slew of curses, he followed her into the stands. He kept his eyes forward, uncomfortable with her altered appearance.</p><p>"I'm no seer but I predict she'd rather get trampled by a hippogriff than forgive you. Not that I need to be one when the entire castle could hear her chewing you out last night," she said, crossing her legs. "Fair warning, your new buddy may swoop in to nurse his own broken heart. As he's overshared with me many times, he does love a screamer."</p><p>"We're not here to talk about Selene," he snarled. "Whatever I tell you, she stays out of it. Swear on it, whether she takes me back or not."</p><p>"Promise." She traced an X over her heart. "You're the one working for a psycho, not me."</p><p>"Debatable," he shot back. "I've heard stories about Kane Carlisle. Why are you sure he's the good guy in this situation?"</p><p>"He's not today's topic of discussion. I doubt you're clued into the big stuff but Lukas must be giving you information in case he needs you for a job. Before you answer this, let me be clear that lying is a waste. I don't need magic to sense it," she said, daring him to test her. "What was with Lukas and Aubrey's brunch date? Who were they meeting?"</p><p>"I don't—a man." He brushed dirt off of his hand. "Lukas didn't say his name, just that he's a historian."</p><p>"For what?" she asked, turning towards him as Snape passed by with McGonagall in deep conversation. It was an odd pairing, one she did not need discovering her. "Lukas can't sit through a briefing without zoning out."</p><p>"About an old medieval myth. Hundreds of witches and wizards, all dropped dead at once. Parents tell it to their kids to scare them from sneaking out and doing bad things. The story goes that these wizards stole from a powerful sorcerer and he cursed them to die in the same spot," he said, treating it like a silly ghost story. "My aunt used to tell it to me when I stole cookies from her kitchen. She'd say their souls would take me away. Whatever they wanted out of that meeting, they didn't get it so he wanted me to introduce him to Selene's cousin Gwen, who works in the Department of International Magical Cooperation."</p><p>Why would Lukas and Aubrey be interested in a random myth? Kane had taught her that many myths were based in fact, the finer details getting lost over the centuries. When she questioned Graham about the story, specifically what was stolen, he told her that it was the sorcerer's prized, jewel-encrusted dagger, the most coveted object in the land. Remembering what she had seen when Kane was interrogating that criminal Andrews, the images of a dagger, she left Graham in the stands and headed back to the Gryffindor common room, the polyjuice potion wearing off when she reached the Fat Lady's portrait but no one around to witness her transformation.</p><p>"Hey, can you knock?" asked Harry, covering himself with the curtain around his bed, as she entered his dormitory.</p><p>He was alone in the room. "Where is everybody? Breakfast?"</p><p>"Yeah, that's where we're going too," he said, pushing up his baggy sleeves. "Where else? Why do you look like you're on a sugar rush? I'm not doing those <em>drills</em> again. You want to hone your ninja skills, fine, but I'm okay with my wand."</p><p>"Tell Hermione and Ron that we're visiting Dumbledore to appeal the quidditch ban." She tossed him his tattered shoes. "Team Potter is going on a treasure hunt."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Danger That Lurks Beneath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You've lost it. I wasn't completely sure when you let Malfoy sit with you in the library, day after day, or when you said that Snape wasn't that bad but now it's confirmed. You've lost your bloody mind."</p><p>Katrina sifted through the shelves in the History of Magic section, ignoring her brother's hyperbole. From the second she dragged him out of his dormitory, his shoes untied and his glasses falling down his nose, to research the dagger and the myth, he was against spending the day in the library. Like Graham, he dismissed the myth as a ghost story to frighten children, comparing it to the boogeyman in the muggle world. He was convinced that she was attempting to create connections between unrelated things, to show a semblance of progress in the hunt for Cayden.</p><p>As she pulled out book after book, Harry gazed wistfully out the windows as students chased each other with snowballs, either carrying them in their hands or bewitching them to float in the air. He had hoped to join in the fun when Sophie, Fay, Parvati, and Lavender popped into the library, to invite Katrina to ice-skate with them on the frozen lake. Katrina, her mind elsewhere, shot them down, pretending that Harry needed her help in finishing his pile of homework that had steadily increased over the week and he would be more productive apart from Ron. No one was wising up to their true reason for being there, thanks to her illusion spell. To anyone else, even Madam Pince, they appeared to be working diligently on essays for several classes, their conversations altered to a stranger's ears to match that perception.</p><p>"Katrina, it's been hours," he whined, tilting back on his chair. Their table in the corner was covered end to end in books on a range of topics, from maps of Great Britain to medieval history. "Why are we reading up on an urban legend when we should be telling Dumbledore that Montague is working for Cayden? Shouldn't you be telling Kane and his secret spy team?"</p><p>"Not about this. With Lukas compromised, he could be interfering with our communications so we've kept them vague," she said, feeling eyes on her as she grabbed a book on mystical objects. "Kane and I are using a runic code that we developed when I was ten. Lukas wouldn't be able to decipher it but Cayden's smarter and I don't want to risk him knowing that we're onto him."</p><p>Katrina placed the book on the table. "Unless he's able to possess Dumbledore, I think it's better to talk to him. We don't have to be involved in this, Katrina. Are you forgetting what happened in the Great Hall?"</p><p>"You don't have to remind me!" Luckily, Madam Pince was unable to hear her raised voice. "Trust me, it's on my mind every day. For whatever reason, Cayden's specifically targeting me, which means like it or not, I'm part of this, Harry. As long as he's out there, he's an asset to Voldemort. We don't know what he's been up to since he faked his death, which makes him a dangerous, unknown variable, and if he's so interested in this myth, it's not for bedtime stories."</p><p>"So you think it's real?" he asked, skeptically.</p><p>"It sounds familiar but that's why we're here." She took out her wand. "If Montague knows the story, it's not a tale lost to time. It's common enough that it could be in these books. I can see you're looking forward to reading through them but I have a faster method."</p><p>As she waved her wand over the table, the books opened, the words and pictures rising from the page. Harry stopped balancing a quill on the top of his finger, watching the words move in various directions based on Katrina swiping her hand and change with the turning pages of individual books. Any relevant passage shifted to her left, hovering like puzzle pieces. Sending a few of the books, those lacking in useful information, back to their respective shelves, she read over the remaining passages, telling Harry to be quiet.</p><p>Katrina recalled stories she had read throughout her childhood, spending her days tucked away in Kane's library while he was out on a mission or training the task force. The myth Graham described was part of a battle against the dark witch Morgan Le Fay, of both muggle and wizarding world fame, in the middle ages. To fight her reign of terror, her destruction expanding outside the country, followers of her rival Merlin banded together to weaken her, to sever her ties to the dark arts. Betrayed by one of their own, they were caught in the midst of a ritual meant to inhibit her magic and Morgan Le Fay easily defeated them, boasting of the deaths of hundreds of innocent souls to Merlin to guilt him into conceding to her.</p><p>In some interpretations of the battle, the wizards had stolen the source of her increased powers: a dagger that she crafted through dark magic. The dagger was rumored to have been lost that day, destroyed in Morgan Le Fay's bloody rampage.</p><p>"When wizards die that violently, it can leave a mark…a hotspot," she told a now intrigued Harry. "That's what he wants because wherever it is, the dagger could still be there. It's why he needs me. A normal wizard wouldn't be able to sense that kind of energy without a proper spell but to a siphon, it'd be overwhelming. He's looking for its location."</p><p>"How hard is it? If you've read about this battle, he must've too," reasoned Harry. "All the years of hiding from Kane, he couldn't find it?"</p><p>"Because it wasn't well-documented so it's mostly hearsay. It was centuries ago and drawn maps from that era wouldn't be helpful today with the lands changing." With a flick of her wand, the passages returned to their books. "That's why Lukas wanted to meet with Selene's cousin. Her department is in charge of international trades and agreements. Say a wizard from Belgium wants to develop his business on a piece of land within the British Ministry's jurisdiction. It might be denied because it's lawfully protected by an old statute or for historical significance. The Ministry wasn't founded until the 1700s so their maps won't date back that far but it doesn't matter because he's using them to find yew trees."</p><p>He waited for a group of Slytherin first years, grumbling about Transfiguration homework, to pass by their table. "Why does he care about a tree? What am I missing?"</p><p>"Wizards generally get buried with their wands and if it's made of yew, a tree sprouts in that spot," she said, sitting beside him. "In many cultures, wizards believe that yew trees grow to signify death and in an area where hundreds of wizards died? Those trees would be massive. Figuring out where it is will be tough."</p><p>"One mystery solved. Now eat," he insisted. She looked at the numerous untouched books containing a possible answer. "Katrina, we have to behave normally. Montague could be telling Lukas what you're doing. It's suspicious if we hole ourselves up in the library."</p><p>"Fine. I'm going to put away the books and I'll meet you for lunch." She held up her pinky. "Pinky swear. If I'm not there in five minutes, you can send McGonagall to drag me out."</p><p>Taking his bag, he walked out of the library, leaving Katrina to clear the table. She reversed the illusion spell and began to put the books back on the shelves. As she stood on her tiptoes to reach a high shelf, she saw Snape, the closest he had been near her since the Astronomy Tower incident.</p><p>"It's fortunate that your brother has you to keep him on task. With how little he pays attention in class, it's no wonder his assignments are mediocre. Is that why you cast an illusion spell?" Katrina secretly changed the cover of the book in her hands to be about giant rebellions, catching a soft reddish glow under his black robes. "Better cast than any student in Professor Flitwick's NEWT classes though he typically saves such advanced spellwork towards the end of seventh year."</p><p>"I don't know what you're—" she started.</p><p>"Do not lie to me," he said, stonily. "A wizard with a properly trained eye can sense it. They may not know what it is concealing but they can tell it is there. As your professor, you will tell me why you cast it, Miss Potter."</p><p>"Oh, not confusing me for my mother?" she retorted, to throw him off her trail. There was a subtle twitch of his cheek. "I'm not hiding anything. I brought Harry here to focus without Ron or someone else distracting him but I'm curious why you're here when you've spent the week avoiding me like the plague, professor. If you want to punish me, we'll need to talk to Umbridge, right? She has final approval on all punishments? Have fun telling her how I cast the spell when I'm supposed to be fairly new to using my magic."</p><p>"I have no intention of punishing you," he said, knowing it would ruin the narrative of her past presented to fool the public. "All I require is your honesty."</p><p>"I am being honest but you're certain of the opposite." She glanced at the pocket of his robes. "You're using a nightshade root to track my magic. Kane uses it in drills to make sure the team isn't cheating with wandless magic. I don't recall reading that being illegal in the rulebook but I can check with Dumbledore."</p><p>Snape stretched his arm across the aisle. "You're a very intelligent girl…far more than your peers and most adults realize, Katrina. Why is it difficult for you to comprehend that I'm prioritizing your safety? You're stubbornly intent on working with Carlisle and if I have to keep an eye on you, I will to ensure you don't end up as another casualty. If you're honest with me, I will refrain from using the root."</p><p>"I already told you. I cast the spell to stop people from bothering me and my brother," she said, her face passive. "Maybe I didn't want Draco Malfoy goading him into a fight and getting away with it while my brother gets something he loves taken from him."</p><p>"Your brother's actions are his own and with them comes consequences," he stated, zero empathy for Harry's quidditch ban. "I understand you want Cayden brought to justice but the danger that entails could put your life at risk. If you continue down this path, regardless if it is approved by Carlisle, I will put an end to it."</p><p>Snape's declaration put a serious dent in her plans. With his ability to track her magic with the nightshade root, knowing when she cast a spell outside a class period, she had to resort to reading at a normal pace and even that was impeded by a sudden rule change from Madam Pince, who banned students from the library after dinner. It could have been Umbridge's doing, to lock students in their common rooms at night, but Katrina was willing to wager Snape played a role in the new restrictions.</p><p>Left with a short window before breakfast and between lesson breaks, Katrina spent the following day studying maps for potential locations of Morgan Le Fay's massacre. Not as detailed as Ministry maps that Lukas may have gotten in his possession, if Graham had done his part to arrange a meeting with Selene's cousin, it required her to work off of multiple, imperfect sources. The Hogwarts library was extensive but there was a low chance of Madam Pince stocking records of topographical maps throughout the centuries. Katrina's advantage was her lengthy time spent in Kane's library, gaining access to the hidden compartment where he kept special editions and books that dealt with ancient, sometimes dark, areas of magic. Her conversation with Harry about yew trees brought forth a deep-rooted memory of opening the compartment to Kane's personal collection but not vividly enough for her to remember how it connected to her search.</p><p>Tuesday afternoon during lunch, she was sitting on the window ledge, reading about Morgan Le Fay's crimes, for an inkling of where the slaughter occurred, and considering using McGonagall's signature, taken from Sophie's play petition, to enter the restricted section. If it managed to pass Madam Pince's strict test, the problem was that she would want a specific book to retrieve herself, refusing to allow Katrina to accompany her. She decided to save the signature for later, when she shifted her focus to Cayden's potion.</p><p>Hearing a thud, she looked up to see a thin, sickly pale Slytherin girl picking up her fallen books. Katrina had seen her around the library with a couple friends or Daphne, who was her older sister. In stark contrast to her popular, opinionated sister, the girl appeared to be quiet as a mouse.</p><p>Hopping down from the ledge, Katrina picked up one of the books, a guide on hippogriffs. "T—thank you," said the girl, dumbfounded by her generosity. "You didn't have to do that."</p><p>"Well, it'd be rude if I just sat there. I think we're safe on it not upsetting the delicate rivalry between our houses." As she brushed back her golden locks, there was a hint of a smile. "You're…Astoria? I'm Katrina. I made a goal to learn everyone's name by the end of the year but I may have underestimated how many people are in this castle."</p><p>"Yes, Astoria Greengrass," she replied, shyly. "I know who you are. They're always talking about you and your brother in the Slytherin common room."</p><p>"I bet," joked Katrina. She handed Astoria the book. "Good choice. He gets overexcited in his writing but when it comes to magizoology, Newt Scamander's the expert."</p><p>An alarm bell chimed in her head. Saying goodbye to Astoria, she browsed the Magical Creatures section and pulled out a heavy, leather-bound book. Handwritten notes were written in the margins of each page. She flipped to a chapter on bowtruckle behavior, skimming the notes line by line.</p><p>"You have to stop coming here, Katrina." Harry was standing at the end of the bookshelf. "Can't you limit it to one visit a day? Dunbar was asking questions and then started blaming me for being a bad brother for not checking on you. Are you listening to me?"</p><p>"I've got it." She waved the book in front of him. "Newt Scamander. That's who I couldn't remember until I said his name. He's the key."</p><p>"A wizard who studies creatures?" he asked, reading the title. "What does he have to do with that dagger?"</p><p>"Hermione's right. You and Ron need to open a book once in awhile," she said, frustrated with his lack of excitement. "He's a famous magizoologist. I read one of his books when I was babysitting a Hungarian Horntail for Kane. Long story, unimportant. Anyway, after that, I had this magizoology phase and I read all of his books. Kane had a special edition of this autobiography that talks about his animal encounters at Hogwarts."</p><p>In the book, Mr. Scamander described his study of a bowtruckle colony in the Forbidden Forest. His handwritten notes, mainly random observations, mentioned how the bowtruckles, creatures that lived in trees of wand quality, evaded a circle of gnarled trees with droopy branches, remarking on how other creatures in the forest purposely strayed from those same trees throughout the day. Harry missed the point, believing that the bowtruckles had a preference for their homes.</p><p>"That's not—they're yew trees," she clarified. "The trees were among the tallest in the forest but their bark wasn't damaged. Creatures are able to sense powerful magic and it can spook them. What if they were feeling a strong energy from the deaths of hundreds of wizards? When Morgan Le Fay was wreaking havoc, Hogwarts was lax with security because wizards didn't care much about hiding from muggles. The protective enchantments weren't as immense and the forest was open space, not part of the school grounds. What if the attack happened in the forest?"</p><p>"Slow down. Let's assume Cayden got those maps." He nodded towards the open book. "Wouldn't he have Montague check them?"</p><p>"It wouldn't be on the Ministry maps. When the Ministry was founded, the headmaster was Vindictus Viridian, who was a famous author and potioneer," she explained. "Viridian was paranoid that a rival author was going to break into Hogwarts to steal his work so he bullied the Minister of Magic to destroy maps of the school grounds and surrounding areas, lying that he had received threatening letters and he didn't want a criminal to find their way to the castle. They never reversed the law, meaning there are no geographical records of Hogwarts or the forest. "</p><p>Instead of joining in her excitement, he seemed hesitant. "We can't go in the forest. It's—Katrina, I've been in there and it's never given me a pleasant memory. You have to tell Kane. He's a world-renowned former auror and I'd rather he run into a troll or worse, not you. Come on, we have Care of Magical Creatures and Hagrid needs all the support he can get."</p><p>In a less perilous, world, where they were not under the threat of two dark wizards, Katrina would agree to his and Snape's requests, to stay out of the fray, but they did not live in that world. With communications scarce, she could never relay the information to Kane or meet him face to face without fear of being spied on by a witch or wizard under Cayden's control. For once, they were a step ahead, if she was correct about the creatures' behavior. To assuage her concerns, Harry would pressure her to tell Dumbledore but he was out on 'private business' , McGonagall implying that it was related to the Order when asked by Harry.</p><p>On the way to Care of Magical Creatures, Harry listed reasons against an expedition into the Forbidden Forest. Katrina endured his exaggerated retelling of his previous adventures, including a run-in with a Voldemort possessed Professor Quirrell and fleeing from an acromantula colony. An opportunity to explore, or at least find the yew trees, presented itself when she saw Hagrid outside the forest, carrying a dead cow. There were fresh bruises on his face, along with bleeding cuts, despite Katrina's healing paste. What was causing his injuries?</p><p>"Where have you two been?" asked Hermione, the Gryffindors trailing behind them in the snow.</p><p>Before Harry could answer, Sophie squealed, bumping her elbow against Katrina's. "Guess who had an amazing talk with Flitwick. My petition worked! That must be why Dumbledore's gone, to talk to the Ministry. He said it's probationary but we're discussing play ideas at choir practice tonight. Double elbow bumps."</p><p>"That's amazing," said Katrina, acting as if her mind was not on other matters. "I can't wait to see it."</p><p>"Well, they won't be putting it on in the library" said Fay, a reference to Katrina's constant trips.</p><p>"Fay," hissed Dean.</p><p>The approaching Slytherins interfered with Fay's attempt to question her over her affinity for the library, spending more time there than in the common room. Their disdain for Hagrid was blatant, Pansy, clutching to Draco like a lifeboat, wrinkling her nose. Most of the students had not reacted well to his presence in the Great Hall on Monday morning, whether it was out of prejudice against his half-giant lineage or believing Grubbly-Plank to be the superior teacher.</p><p>A panic spread through students of both houses when they learned he was bringing them into the forest. In a rare instance of solidarity, some were weighing their options of faking an injury to skip the lesson and agreeing with Draco's reluctance of the creatures being well-trained. As Hagrid, defensive over Draco acknowledging his bruises, strode into the forest, Katrina followed him, Harry at her side to prevent her from breaking from the group. They walked through the dense forest until they were in a clearing, Hagrid depositing the cow on the ground.</p><p>"Gather roun', gather roun'," he encouraged. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they like ter know it's me…"</p><p>Hagrid gave a shrieking cry that echoed through the clearing, half of the class crouched behind trees. Roper was whispering to a quivering Parvati about playing with unicorns, not monsters. Glancing around the clearing for any sign of a creature she could use to lead her to the trees, she made eye contact with Draco, who was looking at her like a wounded puppy. It had not been a complete lie when she told Snape the illusion spell was meant to keep Draco away, but it was for both her and Harry's sakes. In the wake of the quidditch match, he had resorted to sending her notes during classes or meals, all sharing the same fate of getting burnt to a crisp.</p><p>Harry poked her side. "D—don't you see them? Either Ron's kidding or I've gone mad. That black horse with wings."</p><p>Bits of flesh were torn from the dead cow. Watching the meat vanish into the air and the mixed expressions, apprehension, interest, and distaste, of Neville, Harry, and Theodore, who raised their hands when Hagrid asked who could see the creatures, it dawned on her.</p><p>"Excuse me," sneered Draco, back to his 'charming' self. "But what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?"</p><p>People gasped at the partially eaten cow. "What's doing it? What's eating it?" asked Parvati, terrified.</p><p>"Thestrals," answered Katrina.</p><p>Hagrid grinned. "Tha's right, Katrina. Ten points ter Gryffindor. Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in here."</p><p>Disregarding Parvati's warning of thestrals bringing misfortune, he spoke about the thestrals being exceedingly clever and how the herd pulled the school carriages. Hermione earned another ten points for Gryffindor by informing the class that thestrals were only visible to those who have witnessed a death.</p><p>A fake cough ("Hem, hem") announced the arrival of Umbridge, a clipboard in her hands. Hagrid's warm greeting was not reciprocated, the High Inquisitor speaking to him in that slow voice she adopted the night she visited his cabin. She made a show of not understanding him, causing Hagrid to flap his arms to convey his message that they were discussing thestrals.</p><p>"Has…to…resort…to…crude…sign…language…" she muttered, scribbling on the clipboard.</p><p>"Don't," Katrina whispered to an angered Hermione. "Let her act like an idiot."</p><p>A slightly flustered Hagrid turned towards the class. "Well…anyway…erm, what was I sayin'?"</p><p>It prompted mumblings on his poor memory, the Slytherins enjoying every minute. Hagrid, his confidence waning, continued the lesson but any hope of learning was dashed by Umbridge's constant interruptions of thestrals as dangerous, suggesting that Hagrid was a proponent of violence. If Katrina was not in her way, a red-faced Hermione ("You evil hag!") would have hexed her head to swell like a balloon. The Slytherins were shaking themselves, not out of fright but silent laughter.</p><p>Picking up pieces of meat that had flung from the dead cow, she slipped one under her sleeve and threw another at Draco's head, Umbridge busy writing her notes. Harry and Ron held in their sniggers at the juice dripping from his cheek attracting a thestral and alarming the Slytherins who were unable to see the winged horse brushing against them. Umbridge, setting Hagrid up for failure, questioned Pansy on her struggles with his speech. With everyone listening to the Slytherins' scathing, derisive comments, Katrina sneaked away from the clearing, hoofprints forming in the ground behind her.</p><p>"Adventure time," she said, holding out the piece of rotting meat. "We have to be quick before Harry catches on so we need another friend."</p><p>If she could trust her message to not be intercepted, she would have asked Jace's father to meet her in the forest. Growing up, Mr. Moore had taught her and Jace survivalist skills, in case they ever found themselves lost in the wild. It involved learning both magical and non-magical methods like creating a fire or using nature to get a sense of direction. One aspect was animal calls, to attract creatures to track for sources of food and water. While Mr. Moore deemed it a valuable tool, Jace often joked about hailing dragons at Ilvermorny to get him out of class.</p><p>Cupping her hand over her mouth, she tried to imitate a fox call. "Why are you out here?"</p><p>Katrina mulled casting a sleeping spell, until she remembered Snape's nightshade root. It was why she had planned to use creatures to find the yew trees.</p><p>"Maybe I was tired of you and your friends insulting Hagrid," she told Draco, pretending that a thestral was not licking the juice from her palm. "Shouldn't you entertaining Umbridge with your terrible impressions?"</p><p>"Then you could've just thrown cow meat at me again. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I'm a prefect and you're not. I can take points from Gryffindor. How does a hundred sound? Or I could give you detention," he offered. "Have you ever cleaned a trophy room without magic? Talk to me and I'll reconsider."</p><p>"I know this might come as a shock to you, spoiled rich kid that you are, but you don't get to decide if or when I talk to you. That's my decision. Take the points. I don't care," she said, harshly. "Anything concerning you could not be further from my thoughts because, despite how you've been raised, the world does not revolve around you."</p><p>"Why can't you hear me out?" he pleaded. "I'll admit that my father wanted me to get close to you but I never wrote to him, I swear."</p><p>She responded with a slow clap. "Congratulations on having a shred of a conscience. You want to be honest? Put aside the daily insults directed at my brother and friends. Your father is working for the man who wants to kill my brother and probably me as a bonus. In what sane world would we be friends? When your father finally decides to have you in the club, are you going to say no? If he asked you to bring me to your manor, would you refuse?" Draco was silent. "And that's the difference between us. You're too much of a coward to do what's right, especially if it puts others before yourself."</p><p>At the sound of pounding hoofbeats, she reached for her wand, her hand bumping against the thestral's head. Two centaurs, one with red hair and beard and a chestnut body and the other with long, wild black hair that matched the rest of him, emerged from the trees, armed with bows. Draco grabbed the back of her robes, tugging her towards him.</p><p>"There yeh two are. What are yeh—hold on!" Hagrid stood between them and the centaurs. "Ronan, Bane, lower yer weapons."</p><p>"Have you forgotten our last conversation, Hagrid? It seems neither you nor your students respect boundaries," said the dark-haired centaur. His eyes shifted to Katrina. "Drawn to it, were you, abomination?"</p><p>Did he know that she was a siphon? "No need fer that, Bane. Katrina's innocent. They mean yeh no harm, honest. I'll be takin' 'em out o' the forest." Hagrid clenched his left hand, possibly gripping the thestral she had lured from the clearing. "I was teachin' a lesson on thestrals and one of 'em must've gotten too friendly, made her nervous…"</p><p>"I urge you to keep your foals in line," said his redheaded companion, gravely. "They are blind to the danger that lurks beneath. Heed our warnings, young ones."</p><p>Ronan lowered his head then both disappeared into the trees. "Don't pay 'em no mind, Katrina," said Hagrid, leading her and Draco out of the forest. "They tend ter be dramatic but I don't want ter find yeh wanderin' these woods. The thestrals won' hurt yeh."</p><p>"You're lying," whispered Draco, as Hagrid strode ahead. "You weren't scared of those invisible horses. I saw the hoofprints in the dirt next to you."</p><p>"Is someone talking?" she asked, glancing above him. "Nope, no one there. Just an annoying wind bothering me."</p><p>"You're not fooling me, Katrina." He pushed back a low-hanging branch. "I don't want to side with that oaf but you can't be going in the forest alone. You could get killed in there. They don't call it the Forbidden Forest because it's filled with bunnies, kittens, and puppies."</p><p>Reuniting with Harry, who was not convinced with Hagrid's story of her being chased by a playful thestral, Katrina headed towards the greenhouses with him and the Gryffindors. She remained tight-lipped about how the thestral managed to drag her from the clearing, tuning out her brother's pestering by sharing a tray with Hannah and Susan. The presence of centaurs gave her mild pause but also hope that she had been close to the circle of yew trees. Ronan's warning of 'a danger that lurks beneath' made her curious if it was literal, that the dagger was buried underground.</p><p>"Flitwick would like it best. There are plenty of great roles for the choir and whoever else wants to try out. Runcorn could never hit that high note so I've got the lead in the bag. What do you think, Katrina?"</p><p>Sophie had been talking to her as they left the greenhouses. "Sounds great."</p><p>"Okay, we're not supposed to say anything but I can't," said Fay, moving in front of Katrina. "You've been weird since you came back from St. Mungo's. The library's basically become your new common room and when you <em>are</em> around, your head's in outer space. Until recently, you were icing out Roger too. What's going on? Your brother may have the tact of a bull but we—are you lost, Montague?"</p><p>Graham was behind Katrina, his right sleeve messily unfurled. "Sorry to intrude on what I'm sure is a riveting conversation but to get out of being tutored by Malfoy, after their spat, Potter made a deal with Snape to help with a potion I'm working on for an assignment. The ingredients are brewed at specific times. "</p><p>"Yes, I did," she said, playing along. "It was that or clean the castle with Filch for a month. Lesser of two evils. I'll meet you guys in the Great Hall. Let's get this over with, Montague."</p><p>Thankful for the reprieve, Katrina followed him down to the dungeons. He led her to the potions classroom, where a cauldron was placed on each desk with a placard detailing its contents and the students tasked with creating the specific potion. The mixing vapors created an overall aroma reminiscent of spoiled milk.</p><p>"What's with the sleeve?" she asked, grimacing at a poorly brewed amortentia. "Is that the new preppy style? Skip out on the gym this morning?"</p><p>Rolling up his sleeve, he showed her an intricate black mark on his wrist. After meeting with Lukas in Hogsmeade to introduce him to Gwen, under the pretense of him working on a case for MACUSA, Lukas ordered a round of butterbeers in the Three Broomsticks to thank him and had a gift from Cayden to reward him for his loyalty. He called it the next level in the ranks of Chimaera and tapped Graham's wrist with his wand tip, creating the mark. When he received new instructions from Lukas earlier in the day, to report on Katrina's whereabouts, the mark pricked his skin.</p><p>She recognized the ridge-like pattern. "A dragon tail. I wondered why that perv had his allegiance on full display. You should've read the fine print."</p><p>"What fine print?" He clutched his wrist. "What did he do?"</p><p>"It's a linking spell. Similar to Voldemort's dark marks that his followers have on their wrists," she said, picking up a placard with Roger and Finn's names. "He touches his and they get summoned to wherever he's at but this is twice as brutal. It allows him to inflict pain if you're not being sufficiently loyal. Judging by Lukas's fancy artwork, it becomes a chimaera. Subtlety, thy name is not Cayden Coller."</p><p>"Get rid of it. Siphon it off my wrist." Katrina looked over at him. "Go on."</p><p>"I'm not a sponge, Montague," she replied. "I don't retain the magic that I absorb and that pain'll return when he activates your mark. I'd say go ask Snape but that opens a whole new can of worms, doesn't it? You dug this hole for yourself. Who could've predicted that getting what you want comes with a price?"</p><p>"Please. There has to be—ask Kane Carlisle. Cayden learned from him, didn't he?" he asked, desperate for a cure. "He has to know how to remove it. I thought it was a favor for a favor, not signing my life to him."</p><p>"Reversing dark magic is tricky but I may have ideas." She stepped away from the simmering cauldron. "If I agree to remove the linking spell, I need something from you of equal weight…technically, two things. One, you get Draco to leave me alone. Put on your big brother pants and spin some wisdom about giving a girl space. Two, I'll need a vial of your blood but we can put that off for a couple weeks."</p><p>"My blood? Are you—why the hell do you want it?" he asked, bewildered.</p><p>"To work on the linking spell," she said, convincingly. "I need the heat to die down around me a bit. Snape's tracking me these days and it's exhausting to have to make excuses to my friends about why I'm not spending my every minute with them. Want the pain to stop? Do what Cayden wants. You can tell him I spent the day with thestrals and talking about plays with Sophie."</p><p>Katrina was unsure if she preferred Draco's notes or his pitying looks from afar. Both were infuriating for their own reasons. Unfamiliar with the concept of rejection, he persisted with regaining their pseudo-friendship, refraining from insulting Harry or any Gryffindors. That kindness extended into the beginning of December and while it had not gone unnoticed by her friends, Katrina was not keen to forgive him, knowing that it was to appease her instead of a true change of heart.</p><p>If dealing with him was not draining enough, putting on an act for the entire school was taking a toll on her psyche. To her friends and her brother, she was, like them, awaiting the start of winter term to escape the avalanche of homework. Busy planning lessons for the DA meetings, even Harry had forgotten about her quest for the dagger hidden in the Forbidden Forest but Snape had the memory of an elephant. For all his accusations of her being stubborn, it felt hypocritical and if it were not for the nightshade root, she would have searched the forest.</p><p>"That cheating, soulless harpy!" Sophie slammed her hand on the table, toppling pitchers and empty goblets. "How many years is it in Azkaban for murder? It might be worth it."</p><p>"Bad audition?" asked Fay, brushing bread crumbs from her Potions textbook.</p><p>"No audition at all!" she cried. Seamus shielded his bowl of soup from her flailing fists. "Umbridge decided that leech Sue Li should get the lead role. Everyone knows it's because her mother donated tons of money to the Ministry. You should've seen her gloating as that toad announced it."</p><p>"Aren't there other lead parts? You'll definitely get one," said Katrina, to comfort her.</p><p>"Unless she decides to cut it to two and gives it to Runcorn." Her voice was muffled by the white linen tablecloth. "We could get away with it if we have a good alibi. I watch crime shows with my dad. We'll feed her to the giant squad to eliminate the chance the aurors find her body."</p><p>Fay patted the top of her head. "Hello pretty lad—ooh, someone's glum," said Finn, as he and Roger approached the Gryffindor table. "Who died?"</p><p>"My dreams," sniffled Sophie.</p><p>Roger sat beside Katrina. "Umbridge ruined auditions," she told them. "She used her special High Inquisitor powers to give the lead to Sue."</p><p>"Well, there are plenty of roles. It's not a one woman play." His supportive words failed to cheer up the miserable Sophie. "The next audition isn't until tomorrow. Take a night off and come to Hogsmeade."</p><p>Imitating a drum roll, Finn showed them a crinkled poster for <em>Blazing Phoenix</em>, a band that was gaining popularity in the wizarding world. The band were playing a concert at the Three Broomsticks at eight o'clock, the drummer a relative of Madam Rosmerta. Though it was close to curfew, students in third year and above were going to sneak out, with the assistance of the prefects on patrol.</p><p>Fay swayed Sophie by casually mentioning her crush on the guitarist. "What about you, Katrina? A concert <em>is</em> a quintessential teen experience."</p><p>"You won't get caught. We've got it worked out," Roger guaranteed. "The aurors station themselves by the Hog's Head at night. It's where Dumbledore's charm would force any outsiders to apparate if they were visiting the village. You usually have to pay for a concert so a free one is a bargain."</p><p>"I—it does sound fun," she conceded, her hand on a page of her Charms textbook.</p><p>News of the concert circulated through the four tables. The combination of the nearing holidays, a desire to have fun, and the thrill of defying an oppressive Umbridge made students willing to break the rules, a strait-laced Hermione goaded by Ron calling her a chicken.</p><p>The girls' dormitory resembled the aftermath of a tornado, clothes strewn about the beds and floor as they debated their outfits. Katrina was lying on her bed with Purrsephone in her lap, reading her Charms textbook, indifferent to Parvati's hints that Roger would 'make his move'. In truth, the concert was an alibi for her true actions. She had decided it was the perfect cover to enter the forest, Snape's nightshade root not an issue if her plan was successful. At ten to eight, they gathered in the Gryffindor common room with the other brave souls. Harry had put an effort into his attire, due to Cho attending the concert.</p><p>"Why do you have your bag?" he asked Katrina.</p><p>"Montague's annoyed that he has to stay behind for patrol duty and taking it out on me." She partially zipped the bag. "His potion is almost done and he made me get the final ingredients. Once I'm finished, I'll head to Hogsmeade. Don't offer to stay behind. I don't want you getting in a fight with him and then Snape makes me suffer with Malfoy. Besides, you should get a good spot for Cho."</p><p>"Shut up. You've been teasing me since that last meeting when I complimented her stunning spell, " he mumbled. "Did Kane make any progress on the you know what?"</p><p>"Haven't talked to him in days," she said, climbing through the portrait hole after Neville. "He'd rather find Cayden than stress about a mythical dagger."</p><p>On the third floor, they met with the Ravenclaws, Sophie quietly snarling at Sue. Her choir rival, her pink tips now teal, had her arm looped through Liam's, a vomit-inducing sight. Finn was exchanging messages with a Hufflepuff prefect, to know where to dodge Filch and Mrs. Norris.</p><p>"You're a huge fan of the band, aren't you, Roger?" asked Sophie, prodding Katrina's back to push her towards the handsome Ravenclaw. "Katrina's never heard their songs. You should tell her about them."</p><p>"How about when we're not sneaking past Filch?" whispered Katrina. "The pub isn't that big. I'll find him after Montague lets me out of the dungeons."</p><p>Roger's smile fell into a frown. "You're still working on that potion? He's not making you do his work for him, is he?"</p><p>"No. Well, he has me slice the gross stuff," she lied. "It's my last night. I won't miss the concert."</p><p>At the bottom of the marble staircase, she separated from the small group and walked towards Graham, who was outside the dungeons entrance. He mockingly waved at a suspicious Roger. When the last of the group squeezed through the oak doors, she turned to him expectantly, an empty vial in his hand.</p><p>"Did what you said and Snape didn't taste it in his goblet. He's out for the night," said Graham, pocketing the vial. "Why do I have to come with you?"</p><p>"Because you're my alibi and your blood might have to be fresh for the spell. Plus if we run into any centaurs, I'll let them chase you." He threw her a sarcastic glare. "We won't run into them. I have a potion to mask our scent and they won't chase us underground."</p><p>"And if you get whatever is so important, you'll remove the linking spell?" She gestured towards the doors. "Shouldn't you have actual confirmation before leading us to our deaths?"</p><p>"Graham?"</p><p>Selene was among the Slytherins exiting the dungeons. In the past week, Graham achieved a miracle, persuading his former flame to rekindle their relationship. The abrupt turnaround suggested it was Cayden's doing, to ingratiate Graham towards his cause, or their families, to avert gossip in their upper-class, high society circles. She internally groaned at Draco, flanked by the fifth years. It was a scenario she hoped to avoid: a Slytherin and Gryffindor being together bound to spark questions.</p><p>"Aren't you supposed to be patrolling?" asked Selene.</p><p>"I'm swapping with Stimpson soon. Apparently, Potter can't read a map and I have to go with her to get the dittany. Don't want to get blamed for her getting lost. This is what happens when you have to rely on a fifth year, a Gryffindor at that," he said, dialing up his inner jerk to fool his housemates. "You could come with us, if you want."<br/>"But look at how she's dressed," said Katrina, tapping the side of her bag. Draco was eyeing the twitching zipper. "You don't want her heels to get ruined in the snow and mud. They're really pretty. I like how they match the ribbon in your hair."</p><p>"Aw, you're sweet and have a point. These shoes cost a fortune." She kissed his cheek. "I'll see you after the concert. Be careful in the forest."</p><p>"Be a proper gentleman. No snogging," chided Adrian, earning a smack upside the head from Selene.</p><p>Katrina and Graham crept over to the Forbidden Forest. "Trying to use her to get out of our deal? Stupid plan."</p><p>"No, trying to be a good boyfriend," he snapped. "It's my job to keep her safe. Why is your—you brought your cat?"</p><p>Purrsephone's head peeked out from her bag. "Her collar's dipped in the potion to ensure it works wherever we go but she's a Plan B. She's one-quarter wampus. It's why she has specks of yellow in her irises." His blank face was illuminated by his wand. "And you're graduating this year? Not the greatest endorsement of Hogwarts education. Wampus cats are native to North America and capable of legilimency and hypnosis. Her abilities aren't that powerful but if she makes eye contact, she can handle an animal. She's speedy and good in tight spaces too."</p><p>Their wands lighting the path, they trekked through the dirt-stained snow to where she previously encountered the centaurs. Taking Purrsephone out, Katrina placed her on the ground, the kitten sniffing around for their intended target. She sprinted through the snow and Katrina and Graham chased after her, listening for the jingling bell on her collar, to stay within the confines of the potion. They traveled deeper into the forest, a clamor of noises coming from the trees that seemed to brush against the starless sky, and their wand tips were not sufficient to see further ahead.</p><p>"We should get your cat and go back," advised Graham. "I've got a bad feeling. Potter, where are you? Lumos sphera." Balls of light popped out of the chilly air, giving them a line of vision for several feet. "Your hand's trembling."</p><p>"Because I—I can feel it. Siphons are drawn to magic and this is hundreds of times stronger than I've ever…" He pointed his wand at her. "I won't siphon you. I can control it."</p><p>"I believe you but you're acting like a billywig sting addict." The light closest to her was flickering, a sign that she was absorbing residual magic. "What if you can't maintain control? What if you siphon without realizing and it kills you or drives you mad? Screw house rivalries. I don't want you dead."</p><p>Purrsephone hopped over an icy stump and climbed up to Katrina's shoulder. "She's here because she found it," said Katrina, shakily. "The only thing that matters is getting to it before Cayden, whatever it takes. Removing the linking spell is like putting a bandage over a wound. It doesn't erase the reality. You're indebted to him and his favors won't always be writing to him about my breakfast habits. At the end of the day, he wants what he wants and if that is killing an enemy or an innocent, you won't have the choice. He'd drown Selene in the lake if he thought she was making you weak."</p><p>Katrina continued in the direction Purrsephone had run from, grappling with the pain steadily flowing through her and the claws buried in her neck. She knew that her kitten was worried for her safety but the dagger was her top priority. The path led to a circle of gnarled trees, the yew trees from Mr. Scamander's autobiography, the magic pulsing like they were standing atop a living being. Seeing a fox approach the space and then speed into the shrubs, Graham was wary, maintaining a short distance.</p><p>During her days in the library, Katrina had read about a series of tunnels beneath the forest that connected to the castle. In previous wars, the headmaster would hide their students in the winding tunnels if their security enchantments had been breached by an enemy. Her theory was that the drawing of a cave she had plucked from Andrews's memories was the location of the dagger. She counted the steps from each tree until she found the exact middle and pressed her wand into the dirt, the ground rumbling under her. A wide hole formed and holding onto Purrsephone, she jumped into it, landing in total darkness. She lit the torches on the walls and shouted for Graham, whose fall was not as graceful.</p><p>"These tunnels must be miles long. We can't search them in a single night," he panted.</p><p>"Then your blood will come in handy." Taking out a needle, Katrina pierced his thumb. "I won't need a vial's worth but don't move. Ascendo sanguis, invenio pari."</p><p>With her wand, she drew a figure-eight shape over his thumb, reciting the spell. Droplets of blood formed in the dirt to their left, Purrsephone dashing down the tunnel.</p><p>"Hey," said Graham, catching her as she stumbled. "You're burning up. Why don't you sit and I'll go with the cat? Katrina, you could cause a cave-in."</p><p>"I'm okay. The sooner we get it, the sooner we can leave and it'll stop hurting." She stuffed her hands in her coat pockets, to resist touching the walls. "If I sit, I'll be tempted to siphon and it'll be worse than a collapsing cave."</p><p>Doing her best to conceal the pain, she followed the blood trail. He walked with her in lockstep, in case she struggled to stand upright. The trail ended at the entrance to a cave like the drawing and inside, it was bare except for Purrsephone pawing at a wooden chest. Runes were carved into every inch of the wood and there was no keyhole.</p><p>"You nearly killed yourself over a chest?" scoffed Graham. "You can't even open it. An unlocking charm won't make a dent."</p><p>"Doesn't matter," she said, placing the chest and Purrsephone in her bag. "If Cayden thinks there's a chance someone else has it, it's leverage. You'd be surprised how far people are willing to go when you've got something that means everything to them and to Cayden, this is that something. If I'm not at that concert, my brother will flip—"</p><p>A searing pain struck her temple, reminding her of Cayden's failed legilimency on the quidditch pitch. Strengthened by the magic in the tunnels, she was unintentionally in another person's head, receiving a secondhand view of Ron, Hermione, and many students fainting simultaneously onto the floor.</p><p>"Something's wrong," she said, snapping out of what she perceived as Harry's mind. "We need to go to Hogsmeade. Move!"</p><p>The moment they were out of the tunnel, Graham needing to help her climb in her weakened state, she ran out of the forest, getting faster the further she was from the hotspot. She refused to stop until she reached the Three Broomsticks. Ginny, Michael, Anthony, Ernie, and a handful of students, ranging from third to seventh year, were staring at the pub, horrified, and a teary Madam Rosmerta was screeching at Robards and another auror rapidly taking notes.</p><p>"Katrina!" shouted Ginny, her voice strained. "T—they're gone. We were at the concert and I went outside with Michael because I was getting a headache and then there was a weird noise and when Ernie opened the door, the pub was empty besides Madam Rosmerta and her staff. We found the aurors on duty but they thought we were drunk and—wait!"</p><p>Katrina entered the pub, finding it, like Ginny said, completely empty. The tables were packed with mugs of butterbeer and the erected stage near the bar had instruments but no band members. Behind the stage, a giant chimaera symbol was burned into the wall. As her fingers traced the lion's head, another message appeared above it, taunting her.</p><p>
  <em>Time to be with your real family</em>
</p><p>Graham was bent down on the floor, picking up a fancy green ribbon. "You knew," she growled. "That's why you wanted Selene to tag along. There was no free concert…no actual band…you knew it was a trap."</p><p>"No, I—" He almost tripped over his feet. "I didn't know. Lukas told me not to go and I thought it was because he had new orders for me. I'm telling you the truth."</p><p>She stormed off the stage, whipping out her wand. "Where's my brother? Where did he take him?! I'll tear out your spine, you—"</p><p>Anthony blocked her from advancing on him. "Katrina, I know you're upset but Montague had nothing to do with it. You were in the potions classroom together, weren't you? The aurors will find them. People don't just vanish." Kane strode through the open doorway. "M—Mr. Carlisle?"</p><p>"Get to your common room now. I'll take care of Miss Potter." His commanding tone startled Anthony, the blonde running out of the pub. "Montague, you'll be meeting Snape in his office and tell him I will be there shortly. Don't make a trip to the owlery to write to your father in hopes he'll save you."</p><p>If looks could kill, Graham would have exploded before he was out the door. To the annoyance of Robards, Dumbledore had alerted Kane when he learned of what happened in the Three Broomsticks, thanks to a hysterical note from Madam Rosmerta. Umbridge fled to the Ministry to coordinate a statement with Fudge for the <em>Daily Prophet</em>, to not instill a panic in the community and quash any rumors that would arise from the Hogsmeade villagers.</p><p>"What's our plan?" she said, as they headed up to the castle. "Do you need me to get in Montague's head? Can I watch you make that slimeball cry? Are Jace and everyone else coming too?"</p><p>Kane brought her into an empty classroom on the first floor. "You didn't attend this concert."</p><p>"Obviously. I couldn't write to you. It was too much to say through the mirror but remember when you were interrogating Andrews and I had flashes of a dagger and a cave? I cracked the code, Kane. It was a lot of sleepless nights and reading book after book but I did it," she rambled. "He wants Morgan Le Fay's dagger. That's why he recruited Graham, to get to the Ministry maps and find the hotspot with the yew trees but joke's on him because I solved it. We can use Montague to send a message."</p><p>"That's not necessary. He sent one to me, minutes before I was summoned by Dumbledore. He's gotten insufferably more arrogant, which I assumed was impossible." He peered out into the corridor. "This is him striking of his own accord, not under Voldemort. If it were, your brother would not have been taken. He won't return the children until we meet his demands."</p><p>"It's me. He left a note that only I could see." Purrsephone crawled out of her bag and hissed at Kane. "She's tired. We can set a trap too. We use me as bait to lure him in and—where are we going? To meet with—"</p><p>Katrina was repelled from the doorway. Holding out her hand, she discovered that it was a barrier. Kane stood on the other side with McGonagall and Dumbledore.</p><p>"Yes, you were the sole demand and I will not entertain his delusions. You are going nowhere near Cayden." She began removing her gloves. "That would be a waste. It's reinforced with blood magic, lifted for those I deem acceptable. You haven't progressed to siphoning blood magic."</p><p>Had she gone delirious in the tunnels and this was a fever dream? "Why are you—Harry's out there! You can't lock me in this room! We have to get him!"</p><p>"And a search is underway," said Dumbledore, calmly. "Running into the unknown is not the answer. We are not putting additional students in danger and once we are certain that you will not flee to sacrifice yourself, the barrier will be removed. This corridor will be sealed to the remaining students. They will be told that you were taken somewhere safe."</p><p>McGonagall seemed the most regretful. "This is for your protection, Miss Potter. We will not let any harm come to your brother. We will rescue all those who were taken tonight."</p><p>"Kane, please. You can't leave me in here. We can use different leverage. The dagger…tell him you found it. I—I can take you to it. I can help. He'll kill Harry. You know he'll do it." The insides of her palms were coated in sticky blood that congealed around her fingertips. "Let me out. Let me out!"</p><p>Kane recoiled, a fissure forming in the wall behind them. "It'll hold," he assured McGonagall, healing the gash on his cheek. "She'll stay put. The team will be arriving and we'll need to prepare for whatever nonsense actions Fudge has told Scrimgeour to take…"</p><p>Katrina rammed her shoulder against the barrier, feeling it burn through her sleeve. "You need me! Let me out!" She slammed into it harder, fueled by her anger. "You need me! You need me! If anything happens to my brother, I'll never forgive you! LET ME OUT!"</p><p>The three adults left her in the sealed corridor, in a cycle of her magical outbursts destroying the classroom and Kane's magic restoring it before her anguished screams damaged it all over again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Facing the Monster</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry tried to get a sense of his surroundings. Waking up in a daze, his memory was spotty but he remembered awkwardly waving at Cho, who was dancing to the music with her friends, thankful that he did not have to hear Katrina’s teasing then watching Ron and Hermione faint beside him. All around him, people dropped like flies and his last memory was of his head hitting the wooden floor. His initial thought was that Voldemort had finally stepped out of the shadows, to get his revenge for the graveyard. Hadn’t he wanted to prove to his followers that Harry surviving the killing curse had been a fluke, not a sign that he overpowered their revered Dark Lord? Was it possible that he had obtained his desired weapon or, growing impatient with his lack of progress, he decided to throw off Dumbledore and the Order by murdering Harry? </p><p>He expected to be alone, surrounded by death eaters, until he heard frightened voices. All different but asking the same questions: Where were they? What was going on? Harry could not answer either one, his vision impaired by a spell, making him unable to see where they were taken to from the Three Broomsticks. He wavered on whether this was Voldemort’s doing, with the presence of his friends and classmates, doubtful that he would be careless and expose his revival. The mass murder of school children did not sound like his usual style. </p><p>Like waking from a sudden dream, Harry’s vision returned and he found himself sitting in a white  and gold antique chair, Ron to his right and Hermione to his left. Their hands were bound to the chairs by invisible restraints, a shock shooting up his arm when he attempted to lift his right hand. Harry continued to doubt Voldemort’s involvement as he looked around him, seeing several Slytherins like Malfoy, Nott, and Carrow. He would not threaten the lives of his followers’ children, those who would likely swear their own allegiances in the future. Listening to the Hogwarts students fret, Harry searched the room for any clues. The room was an open kitchen, its size and grandeur comparable to one in a mansion, but he noted the absence of windows. Was the room enchanted to reflect a calmer space and in actuality, they were in a dungeon? </p><p>“I don’t see Ginny,” whispered Ron. “She went outside with Corner. They must’ve taken anyone who was in the Three Broomsticks. Harry, do you think it was…you know who?”</p><p>“Maybe, maybe not.” Harry winced, relaxing his hand against the arm of her chair. “If it was, why would he take Slytherins? Half the kids here don’t believe he’s back so they wouldn’t suspect him anyway and if they <em>are</em> in on it, Malfoy should consider an acting career.” </p><p>“Dumbledore will find us,” said Hermione, confidently. “Don’t you remember what Katrina said in Hagrid’s cabin? How wizards can be tracked? It’s not an easy spell for someone our age, of course, but for him, it’ll take seconds. He’ll rescue us, wherever we are.” </p><p> “Ooh, I’d dial down that optimism.” Lukas sauntered into the room. “Your signatures are wiped clean in a secure place like this. It’s a special enchantment. You’re ghosts. He’d have better luck tracking a demiguise. Guess you’re not that smart, are you, mudblood?” </p><p>There was a myriad of reactions to his presence. To most, he was the handsome, respected MACUSA auror at the beginning of a grand career in protecting the wizarding world from criminals. Hermione and the Weasleys regarded him as an ally to the Order, seeing him around Grimmauld Place when he visited with Kane and his task force. Whether they knew him well or not, they all believed him to be on the right side of justice. Harry was the sole person aware of his true self: a traitor who allied himself with Cayden, who was now at the top of his list of culprits. If Lukas was here, Cayden played a role in their kidnapping. </p><p>Fred and George, confused by his vitriolic tone but angered by his slur towards Hermione, moved to stand, deterred by the restraints. “Don’t call her that!” snapped Fay. </p><p>“You’re that reporter’s daughter. The one that kisses Fudge’s ass,” he said, cruel but accurate. Fay was being told by Hannah Abbott to ignore him. “Will he care when he learns you’re gone?Nah, he’ll just see it as a compelling story.”</p><p>“Is this a twisted part two to your uncle’s seminar?” asked an irritated Pucey, oblivious to the severity of the situation. “He’s getting as paranoid as Moody. We probably haven’t left the pub. We get it. The world is dangerous. You’ve had your fun, Carlisle. Whatever game this is, end it. You made your poi—”</p><p>Pucey’s head struck the table. “W—why did you do that?” Greengrass said to Lukas, his wand poking out of the sleeve of his leather jacket. “Are you mental? When our parents find out about this, they’ll sack you as an auror.”</p><p>“I know you’re slow but try to pay attention. This isn’t a game. The reason you are still alive is because you’re more useful alive than dead,” he told the speechless crowd, moving around the u-shaped table. Finn Barnes had red marks on his wrists from fighting the restraints. “You can call yourselves leverage.”</p><p>“For what?” asked Roger, putting on a brave face. “What do you want?” </p><p>“None of your business. Is this another hero act? Didn’t work out that great the first time, did it?” he taunted, referencing the attack in Hogsmeade. Katrina had mentioned to Harry that Lukas was one of the masked figures. “Sorry to disappoint you, ladies, but the Hogsmeade Hero is a dud and a shitty duelist. He couldn’t land a single hit on me. As I said, you’re leverage but don’t mistake that for immunity. If you push us too far, we won’t be that nice. Only one of you is truly safe.”</p><p>Lukas stopped behind Harry’s chair. Neither said a word but it was not necessary. Being Katrina’s brother, Lukas would know that if she opened up to anyone at Hogwarts, it would be him. Though this was Cayden’s plan, he could not risk Harry’s life, at the expense of losing the devious partnership he had with Voldemort. </p><p>Lukas flicked his head. “But you knew that already, didn’t you, four eyes? You’re being saved for a special someone.”</p><p>“Voldemort?” That single word, from Hermione, sent a wave of tension through the room. “You’re working for him?” </p><p>“No. Aw, it’s tough when you don’t have the answers, isn’t it?” He leaned close to Harry’s ear. “Too bad your sister isn’t here. You really need to work on those big brother skills. Start with teaching her not to be such a tease. She kind of owes me but she’ll get a do-over when she joins us. I bet she’s delicious.”</p><p>In his anger, wanting to hurt him for how he spoke about Katrina, Harry swung back his hand. The pain was severe but worth it when his restraint hit Lukas, the older boy wrenching back with a burn on his neck. </p><p>He pushed Harry’s head against the table, his wand pressing into his cheek. “You little snot, I’ll—” </p><p>“Lukas, behave yourself,” Harry heard. “These are our guests and you will be respectful.”</p><p>His cheek no longer forced into the lacquered wood, he lifted his head to a young man in the doorway. He looked similar to the teenage boy in a photo Katrina had shown Dobby in the Gryffindor common room. Instead of the uniform worn by the task force, he was wearing a crisp navy blue suit, a golden flower tucked into the pocket, and since that photo was taken, he had grown some stubble. There was no mistaking that this was a grown Cayden Coller. The way he could reduce an arrogant Lukas to a meek version of himself reminded Harry of Voldemort, his swagger alone giving him a commanding presence. </p><p>As he walked towards Lukas, Harry could see the resemblance between him and Roger, such as his dusty green eyes and dark hair, but Cayden had a tanned complexion, inherited from his mother’s side of the family, and a slight accent. During her months of research, Katrina learned that before moving to Bristol, months prior to their deaths, his parents had a home in Barcelona, the birthplace of his mother. </p><p>Lukas did not meet his gaze. “Didn’t I tell you to give them a proper meal? Half of them are near tears and your wand is in one of their faces. They’re not to be harmed. They haven’t eaten in days and I can hear their stomachs growling. Let’s remedy that, shall we?”</p><p>Two days, sixteen hours, eleven minutes, and forty-two seconds.</p><p>That was how long it had been since fifty-three students mysteriously vanished inside the Three Broomsticks. Trapped by Kane’s barrier, Katrina spent it lying on the cold floor of the empty classroom that doubled as her prison, tormented by the ticking clock above the door. Purrsephone was her main source of contact, not counting the occasional visits from Snape or McGonagall to bring her meals and check on her. She did not acknowledge either professor or let them heal the burns she accrued from repeatedly hitting the barrier, her emotions overriding her logic. </p><p>The brunt of her anger was directed at Kane. Her guardian, a man whose code was to put the mission first and succeed by any means, had done a full 180, refusing to involve Katrina in the rescue of her brother and classmates. Though she was confined to the classroom, she gleaned information on what he and Dumbledore were planning by enchanting Purrsephone’s collar, the kitten unaffected by the barrier and able to slink around the castle. With their meetings being held in Dumbledore’s office, the information was limited. Katrina knew that they had not found Cayden’s location, a three way battle was waging between Kane, Dumbledore, and Fudge on how to handle the matter, and the castle was on lockdown. </p><p>“Mr. Moore told me that this is a favorite of yours. You were in this same position last night.” Snape was reflected in the arched window, holding a tray of food. “I understand—”</p><p>“Spare me your rehearsed sympathy,” she said, keeping her eyes on the wall. “You don’t understand what I’m feeling. My brother is the hostage of an insane person. He could be torturing him and instead of listening to reason, you’re running around like chickens with heads cut off. Two days and you haven’t found them or you have and you don’t care if my brother is dead.”</p><p>He dropped the tray onto the nearest desk and blocked her view of the wall with his body. As Purrsephone sidled into the room, Katrina thought the barrier lowered a third time, a visible glimmer in the doorway. </p><p>“You think I’ve never feared for the safety of those I cared about and felt helpless to protect them? I <em>do</em> understand what you’re going through, Katrina,” he said, solemnly. “I understand that you’re concerned for your brother but saving his life cannot come at the expense of yours. Cayden going rogue was unanticipated but if he intended on harming the students, he would have made that evident by now. He knows you’d give your life in exchange for your brother and whatever his intentions are, it is clear that you are essential to his ultimate goal. You need to be calm.”</p><p>“Calm?” She glanced up at him. “What else? Should I <em>trust</em> that the adults know what they’re doing? Because you don’t. I know Fudge won’t let you out of the castle or if any professor tries, he’ll have you arrested for treason. I know that he won’t budge on Dumbledore working with the aurors and he’s hiding the truth from the parents of those who were taken by silencing Madam Rosmerta and her staff and the villagers. He won’t even believe that Cayden’s alive.”</p><p>“You know quite a lot for someone who’s spent hours staring at a wall.” Snape grabbed Purrsephone as she nibbled his pant leg. “I wondered why she was outside Dumbledore’s office this morning. You’ve enchanted her collar to eavesdrop, I suppose. Very—”</p><p>He froze like a statue, his fingers grazing the bell on her collar. Slipping out of his grasp, Purrsephone climbed into Katrina’s lap, the yellow flecks in her eyes shining like stars. Before Katrina could process her kitten’s actions, Snape, his hands at his sides, fell to the floor and Jace appeared by the window. Through her ‘eavesdropping’, Katrina knew that he was part of the tense discussions but due to their friendship, Kane prohibited him from visiting her, in the event he disobeyed orders and attempted to free her from the classroom. </p><p>“Nice one, Seffie,” he said, praising the kitten. “You’ve gotten good at that.”</p><p>Katrina stood, looking from her best friend to the unconscious potions professor. “Jace, why did you do that? I can’t leave unless Kane reverses the spell. It’s blood magic.”</p><p>He showed her a vial containing a minuscule amount of blood. “Then it’s a good thing I swiped this while Kane was threatening Fudge. He was trying to use it for a locator spell on Lukas but that bastard’s cloaked. He didn’t want me anywhere near you but he’s not here and I’ll accept my punishment from him and my dad after we save Harry, Hannah, and the others.”</p><p>Healing the burns on her shoulder, Jace briefed her on the past two days. Fudge was adamant that the missing students were not in danger, preferring to stick to his narrative that it was the work of a lowly criminal and not the resurrected nephew of prominent Ministry employees. He trusted that his aurors could find them, unwilling to accept help from Kane or MACUSA. In his mind, Kane was falling for Dumbledore’s hysterics over Voldemort, to relive his glory days, and any hopes of Kowalski swaying his stalwart opinions were dashed by the MACUSA president choosing to remain neutral in the conflict. </p><p>The British aurors were unable to piece together how Madam Rosmerta did not see the students whisked away from her pub or how the attackers entered Hogsmeade under their noses. Tonks, a fan of <em>Blazing Phoenix</em>, knew that they were playing a concert in Paris that night and had not yet left, leading her to suggest the attackers had masqueraded as the band. </p><p>The previous night, Fudge began receiving letters from concerned parents, who were informed by friends of the kidnapped students, leading him to reluctantly work with Kane to avoid a scandal. In a matter of minutes, Jace and the task force deduced that the security enchantments encompassing Hogsmeade was tampered with, presumably to allow Cayden’s goons into the village. It meant that he had someone on the inside, a mole like Graham. </p><p>The problem was finding their location, Cayden learning his tricks from the best. Kane and Dumbledore uncovered possible hideouts but were hesitant to search them, thinking they were merely decoys rigged with traps. Cayden’s enchantments, taught to him b y Kane, made it difficult to confirm the correct spot, the intuitive wizard cloaking himself and his minions from being seen or tracked on a map. Jace was left behind to guard the castle while Dumbledore and the Ministry aurors searched a potential hideout in Wiltshire and Kane and members of the task force, those who doubled as MACUSA aurors, left for Barcelona. </p><p>“The enchantment erases a person’s magical signature, what pops up when we cast a spell,” he explained, conjuring a map. “McGonagall thought we could track the students but they’re untraceable too. Kane says it’s through our wands because it’s specific to that person. That’s why we’re struggling to find them but when Snape said you enchanted Purrsephone’s collar, it hit me. Roger’s bracelet.”</p><p>“You said they were all wiped. How does that—I cast a protective charm on it,” she said, catching onto his idea. “It was my magic so it’s not cloaked. If the spell’s strong enough, it could give us a hint of where they are…” </p><p>“I sent a message to Kane and Dumbledore but spells must be blocking it and we can’t waste time.” He pricked her finger with the tip of his wand. “Hope this works.” </p><p>A drop of her blood landed on the map. Carefully linking hands with Jace, they combined their magic to cast the locator spell. The droplet initially did not move but then it glided across the map, to a point in Southeastern England. Katrina recognized it as Bristol, Cayden’s old home. Using Kane’s blood, Jace lowered the barrier and pulled Katrina through, recasting it to encase Snape and casting an illusion spell to masquerade Purrsephone as Katrina. Before visiting her, he had spoken to Ginny about distracting Umbridge, Fudge’s enforcer on no one leaving the castle without her permission. Like Katrina, the remaining Hogwarts students were confined to their common rooms, except at meals, after news of the kidnapping had reached their parents. </p><p>Through the ceiling, Katrina heard a panicked cry and Filch shouting at Peeves. With the diversion underway, she and Jace sneaked out of the castle and headed towards Hogsmeade. </p><p>“What about his secret helper in the village? Aurors must be on guard. What if it’s one of them?” she asked Jace, as they neared the gated entrance.  </p><p>“I’ve got their breaks timed to the millisecond. We can’t apparate on the Hogwarts grounds.” Jace kept her hidden behind the gate, waving at the passing owner of Honeyduke’s. “If they see me around, it’s nothing newsworthy but you’re different. Getting into the hideout, if we find it, is our next problem. It’ll be armed to the teeth.” </p><p>“I can siphon any enchantments,” she suggested.</p><p>“It could tip them off. We need to know what we’re facing and I have an inside source.” He led her to the alley between a cauldron shop and a hair salon. “Do you remember Natalie Picquery? Nosy Natalie?”</p><p>Natalie Picquery was a former classmate of Jace’s at Ilvermorny, three years above him and both in Thunderbird. Throughout her school years, she had a reputation as a gossip and being dreadful with secrets. Jace often told Katrina how she would get in trouble for divulging their quidditch team’s plays to impress her crush, the Horned Serpent captain. After graduation, she received a job as an investigative journalist at the <em>New York Ghost</em>, earning comparisons to Rita Skeeter but with a likable personality. She served as a useful source for the aurors at MACUSA and she was currently on assignment in Bristol. </p><p>Earlier in the morning, Natalie reached out to Jace. Aubrey had arrived in Bristol, supposedly chasing a lead on a kidnapping in New Mexico, and, having been friends during their time at Ilvermorny, she asked to stay at Natalie’s apartment, to ease her search. Though it was not uncommon for an auror to work lengthy hours, Natalie noticed that Aubrey was being very secretive about the case, one that her private sources had no knowledge of, and she wanted to get details from Jace. He hoped to mention it to Kane but he departed the castle before his arrival through Dumbledore’s fireplace. </p><p>“The locator spell proves that Bristol must be where they’re hiding. I told Natalie that Aubrey was going rogue and to let me handle it.” He peeked at the map. “They’re cloaked in the hideout but not outside it and she said Aubrey’s been shut in her room all day, working on the case. Natalie’s left the apartment so it’s our one shot. Savage and Pritchard are about to switch. Ready?”</p><p>Grabbing ahold of his sleeve, Katrina felt her feet lift off the snowy ground and just as quickly, they landed outside an apartment building. Keeping her close, Jace turned over a decorative rock, revealing a key and a note. Owned by a wizard, the building had additional security, with the doors enchanted to only open with a specific key, to prevent thefts. On the note, Natalie scribbled her apartment number and that she heard another person in Aubrey’s room. Together, they walked into the building, passing numerous tenants, muggles and wizards, and halted at Natalie’s door. Jace flicked his wand at the wall, which became partially transparent to show a single shadowy figure in the kitchen. </p><p>Tapping a finger against his lips, Jace cautiously opened the door, he and Katrina preparing for an ambush. Instead of Aubrey, there was an exact double of Katrina, dressed in a low-cut crop top, black skinny jeans, a matching leather jacket, and knee-high boots and her red hair tied into a high ponytail, opening a cabinet below the sink. </p><p>“It’s me, Nat. I’m about to nab this creep and he’s into the innocent types,” said Aubrey, observing a collection of potions. “You know, the ‘Oh, I’m so sweet and pure and good. I couldn’t hurt a fly. Tee hee’.”</p><p>“Actually, I don’t sound that ditzy.” As Katrina disarmed her, before she could reach into her jacket, Jace tied her up with thick ropes, removing her disguise. “And I’ve never said tee hee. You haven’t done your homework. Where’s my brother?”</p><p>Incapable of much movement, Aubrey shrugged in reply. “Never met him. Isn’t he at school with you? Is he missing? That’s so sad. Back together and now torn apart again…”</p><p>Jace tightened the ropes with a clockwise twirl of his wand. “Cut the crap, Bree. We can do this two ways and no, neither of them are easy. Either you talk willingly or we make you talk.” Her smugness faltered when Katrina removed her gloves. “You’ve never seen Katrina siphon before, have you? It is not fun. Your body gets weaker and weaker and your organs start to fail and as your heart pumps faster to keep beating, your veins rub together. It’s excruciating. I’ve soundproofed the walls so go ahead and scream. I doubt your boss will race to save you. Should we find out if I’m wrong?” </p><p>“Kane wouldn’t let her out alone…not with just a guppy like you, Jace. Is this a top secret mission? Adorable,” she said, in a childish voice. “I’m not telling you anything. Your pet kitten won’t hurt me. It might upset Kane and she’d never—heh, she wouldn’t—ugh.”</p><p>Aubrey closed her eyes, to hide her pain. “Here’s a cool fact. I don’t need touch to make you suffer. I can draw on magic from any source like those potions under the sink,” warned Katrina. “That’s your blood vessels starting to boil and in terms of Kane, he’ll understand that I had to cook you like an egg to get my answers. Start talking.” </p><p>“I’m not—fine, fine!” she shouted. Katrina lifted her hand from the counter. “They’re in a compound underground, on the property that used to belong to his parents. Cayden wanted me to go to Hogsmeade to meet with an informant and find out how close Kane was to finding it. He said it would be easier if I looked like you because the villagers would think you were asking about your brother. Before you ask me, Jace, I can’t tell you the informant. It’s a curse that gets enacted when we talk about other followers. Thank the Slytherin brat for that.”</p><p>“Course you can’t. Tell us how to get in.” Aubrey stared back at him in defiance. “Answer or Katrina gets private time with you.”</p><p>Faced with a difficult choice, she confessed that getting into the compound would be simple for a siphon, Katrina able to lift the protective enchantments, but getting out was the hard part. It was extremely secure, hexes and curses activated by the use of unapproved magic with or without a wand. If they cast something as insignificant as a lighting charm, it would trigger the defenses and when an intruder was detected, the interior scrambled itself like a maze. Aside from hexes, they had to contend with Cayden’s potion, the mist traveling through the corridors to randomly inhibit their abilities, if they concocted a way to use their magic. She likened it to a death trap for Chimaera’s enemies. </p><p>Katrina knocked her out and plucked a strand of her hair. “I have a way around the anti-magic hex. I’ve seen Kane cast it on himself when he has to get in somewhere that’s sealed off to anyone but the caster. It’s a charm that masks you as someone else. I could use Aubrey’s hair to fake being her in the compound and I’ll have her wand as a backup.” </p><p>“And I can do that with a guard. I have a crazier idea and you won’t like it but to do this, we’ll have to divide and conquer. I can handle the guards and you do some acting.” He nodded towards Aubrey. “Pretend to be her and find the students. When you do, we’ll message each other. It’s risky, I know, and if you’d rather wait for Kane, I won’t argue, Katrina.”</p><p>“No, we have to get them,” she insisted, swapping Aubrey’s clothes with hers. “How long before Cayden gives the order to send a new, bloodier message to Kane? They’ve got plenty of options besides Hannah and Harry. We’re getting them back, Jace.” </p><p>After formulating a plan, admittedly imperfect and dozens of ways of being caught, Katrina dove into Aubrey’s memories to get an exact location of the hideout and its defenses and a better perspective on how the older girl’s personality and how she interacted with Lukas and other members of Chimaera. Their biggest fear was bumping into Cayden, neither believing they could honestly win against him in a duel. Apparating to the edge of the outer barrier to the compound, they spotted a blonde boy around nineteen, an auror for the French Ministry named Henri Dubois according to Jace, pacing around the trees, wearing a black hooded uniform like Lukas’s from the Hogsmeade attack. </p><p>A goat mask in his hand, he pointed his wand at the trees concealing her and Jace. “Montre-toi!” </p><p>Deciding to maintain her appearance to distract the guards, especially Lukas, Katrina stepped out from their hiding spot. “It’s me, you croissant eating nitwit,” she spat. He did not lower his wand until she showed him Aubrey’s, made of mayhaw and rougarou hair. “Don’t they teach you frogs how to identify someone without needing to see them? If you’re this jumpy with me, what are you going to do if Carlisle shows up? He won’t be as generous as me. The brats still alive?” </p><p>Henri scowled at her insult. “Zey are in ze kitchen with Lukas. I ’ope you have good news for—” </p><p>Jace hit him with a stunning spell. Taking his wand, he changed into the sleek uniform and dropped a couple blonde hairs into a vial of polyjuice potion. Once he stuck another hair on his watch, Katrina cast the masking charm, as she had done with Aubrey’s hair and her bracelet in the apartment. </p><p>“You sure about this?” he asked, resembling Henri. “Maybe you should take it now.”</p><p>“No. It’ll throw off Lukas and that’s useful,” she said, stowing the vial in her jacket. “I’ll take it when necessary. Step two?”</p><p>“Count of three and then we pray to Merlin.” She took off a glove and dug her fingers into the dirt. “One, two, three.”</p><p>If a stranger asked how Draco ended up in his current predicament, they would book him a bed in St. Mungo’s. One minute, he was at a table with his friends at the Three Broomsticks, listening to the band and keeping an eye out for Katrina, who had been acting dodgy for weeks and even more so with Graham, and the next, he woke up in an unfamiliar room, restrained to a chair and surrounded by other frightened Hogwarts students. He could not begin to explain why Lukas Carlisle had kidnapped them. His arrogance was not surprising to Draco, being on the receiving end of it from the age of five and forced to be respectful to the Carlisles to appease society’s notion that pureblood families of high standing were great friends. Despite his and his friends’ fights with Carlisle or the equally irritating Moore, this side to him was different: icy and viciously cruel, a complete opposite of his image as an honorable, courageous auror.  </p><p>It all seemed to be a lie. He was not the successor to his uncle’s legacy but part of something sinister. The ringleader was someone older, someone Draco vaguely recalled visiting his father on a late summer night. Behind the closed doors of his study, his father conversed with the young man, Cayden he had introduced himself to the students like a gracious host, and the Dark Lord, Draco trying not to eavesdrop as he sneaked out to Daphne’s manor for a party, her parents away to visit her ill grandmother. At the time, he thought the man was another death eater but if that was the case, why would he have taken Draco and the Slytherins? </p><p>Though he literally kidnapped them, he did not conduct himself like a criminal. An aura of sophistication encircled him, reminding Draco of his father with his suit and polite manners. If they were not tied to their chairs, receiving painful shocks if they tried freeing themselves, he would have fallen for the act. No one spoke since he entered the room, too afraid to make a sound. Cayden had not said much to them as he prepared a meal, with the lackluster assistance of Lukas, but every so often, Draco noticed him glance at Davies. </p><p>“What do you want with us?” inquired Chambers, against Li’s hushed whispers. “Is this to get to Dumbledore? You kidnap us and when he gets here, you fight him because he wronged you or whoever’s in charge?”</p><p>Cayden wiped his hands with a rag. “No. I expect he’ll come for you but nothing to do with him.” Various hors d’oeuvres appeared on their plates. “I’ve told you that you won’t be harmed. Eat.”</p><p>They could not deny the delicious smell or their growling stomachs but their fear outweighed their hunger. “W—we can’t exactly move,” stuttered Pansy, indicating their hands.</p><p>“I lifted your restraints but if you run, it’ll be the same result,” he advised, as some subtly motioned to flee the room. “You don’t have your wands and none of you are that proficient with wandless magic, not when you’re weakened and certainly not against Lukas or myself. Spare yourself the unnecessary pain.”</p><p>Knowing he was right, Draco picked at his plate and placed his free hand on Pansy’s back to comfort her. Around the table, the older students were communicating through imperceptible looks, contemplating their options until Dumbledore arrived to rescue them. Adrian and Miles were eyeing the men as they cooked, waiting for the perfect moment. Cayden stopped dicing tomatoes and walked over to Potter, his plate untouched.</p><p>“He’s going to get us killed,” muttered Theodore. “Stupid Potter. Who else but him?”</p><p>“I know you were raised by muggles and they’re quite barbaric but surely they taught you proper manners,” he said to Potter, maintaining his tranquil tone. “It’s rude not to eat, Harry.”</p><p>Potter kept his hands under the table. “You’re not fooling anyone except yourself. It’s an act and you won’t be this confident when Dumbledore shows up with Kane Carlisle. You want to discourage us from running because we outnumber you and your magic might not work where we get to before you catch up to us.”</p><p>Cayden let out an amused chuckle. “You’ve heard of my little invention. It’s true that it needs adjustments but I assure you, magic or not, you’ve got no chance of success. You want to lead your friends to safety? Be my guest. Kane trained both Lukas and me to be lethal in many forms of combat. Numbers won’t matter. If you want to test my patience, any blood that’s spilled is on your hands.”</p><p>“You said you won’t hurt us because we’re leverage,” said Potter, in a pathetic display of false bravado. “They won’t give you what you want.”</p><p>“I used to think that way when I was younger but you’d be surprised how far people are willing to go when you've got something that means everything to them.” If he wanted to slice Potter’s throat, it was not obvious by his face. “I learned that from Kane so I’d keep that in mind. I was his best student.” </p><p>“You’re wrong,” he asserted. </p><p>“Ooh, are we torturing them? Finally,” said an unmistakable voice. “I told you that would be more fun.” </p><p>Draco dropped his fork as Katrina strolled into the room. He questioned if it was her, just by her revealing outfit and an arrogant demeanor that did not match the girl he had gotten to know the past few months. Lukas, similarly wary, gripped his wand.</p><p>“We need to send an incentive to light a fire under his old ass.” Her snobbish tone further convinced Draco that she was an imposter, someone under polyjuice potion or a disguising charm. “I have mine.”</p><p>It was unnerving to see such a murderous expression on her face, directed towards him. Like any normal person, Katrina could get angry but never to this degree, her rage calm and collected as opposed to outright and volatile. Others had not caught on, believing that this was the real Katrina tugging on Draco’s hair.  </p><p>She dragged her wand across his cheek. “Let me do it,” she begged Cayden. “Carve him up like a turkey. We can have one of each, a pureblood, a halfblood, and a mudblood. What are you staring at, fuckface?” Lukas’s wariness faded, replaced with a look of pure loathing. “Aw, are you triggered?” </p><p>“Aubrey, leave him be,” said Cayden, his back to a confused Potter. “We’re not hurting them. Change and mind your manners. Don’t make me tell you twice.”</p><p>Pouting, she released Draco, purposely swinging his face towards his plate, and picked up an empty glass on the counter, next to a bottle of elderflower wine. “Be useful and pour me one,” she said, holding it out to Lukas. </p><p>He snatched the glass from her. “You weren’t supposed to dress like <em>that</em>. It’s like you were asking to get snatched, Bree.”</p><p>“Because you’re an expert, perv?” she taunted. </p><p>“Enough bickering,” chided Cayden. Taking the glass of wine, she turned away from a riled Lukas. “What did you find out?” </p><p>Aubrey’s change was instantaneous, back to a petite brunette. “He’s got nothing. Our birdie says he’s stalling until you get antsy and screw yourself over and he’s got that brat stashed somewhere secret” She was speaking in her regular voice, not Katrina’s. “I did hear the aurors talking about Wiltshire and Barcelona so they’re taking the bait. Can we revisit my original idea? I get not wanting to ruffle feathers but is a twit like Malfoy a loss? We’d be doing the world a favor.” </p><p>Standing behind Draco in silent warning, Cayden ordered her to assist Lukas with the cooking. “Ignore her. She’s a petty one, particularly in regards your mother.” Draco could not imagine how his mother drew Aubrey’s ire, their families hardly acquaintances. “All that fanfare of pureblood solidarity but we’re a backstabbing lot, tearing each other down to get ahead.” </p><p>Whatever caused her animosity, Aubrey was adamant about taking it out on Draco, feigning compliance with Cayden’s request for leniency while making eye contact with Draco as she chopped carrots with a sharp knife. Potter, putting his incessant desire for heroics above the lives of others, refused to at least take a bite of his food. Emboldened by his example, some abandoned their plates, wanting answers into Cayden’s grand plan. </p><p>“If you’d prefer not to eat, it’s your choice. You’re hoping that Dumbledore will come through that door and be your valiant savior.” He stirred a boiling pot by rotating his index finger. “He won’t find you until he agrees to my terms. I’ve got hideouts around the world, decoys as well-guarded as this compound. He’ll have his hands full with—”</p><p>“Where did you get that ring?” interrupted Davies, his eyes on a simple silver band, bearing a raven coiled around a cursive D, on Cayden’s left hand. </p><p>“Finally noticed it, have you?” asked Cayden, twisting the ring. “Perhaps you were sorted into the wrong house. I was wondering when you’d speak up but the lack of recognition…someone altered your memories. It was my father’s, given to him and his older brother one Christmas morning by their father. A Davies tradition, he called it.” </p><p>Davies was baffled by the revelation that Cayden was his cousin. Draco heard stories of him losing family during the war against the Dark Lord, his father telling him that the relatives had been estranged for nearly a decade. Their deaths were reported as gruesome, the culprits setting their home on fire and the body of Davies’s aunt covered in scars, but his father never mentioned the couple having a son. </p><p>Telling the truth flipped a switch inside Cayden, a darkness overtaking his features. He claimed that Davies’s father had betrayed his parents out of envy, leading the death eaters to their doorstep. </p><p>“M—my father wouldn’t do that,” defended Davies. “He visits their graves every year. Why would he bother if he wanted them dead? Whatever you think happened, it’s a misunderstanding.”</p><p>“I don’t think it. I <em>lived</em> it,” he snarled. “I was in the house as it burned, hiding in the cellar. Your father didn’t tell the aurors that I existed so they only searched for two bodies and I would’ve perished in the flames if Kane Carlisle hadn’t found me.”</p><p>“Maybe your parents never told him about you because we were going through a rough patch.” Cayden was not placated by that excuse. “They hadn’t seen each other in years. If my father knew you were alive, he would’ve taken you in. I—is that why you’re doing this? You want Dumbledore to bring him to you to get revenge? It won’t heal your pain. You can end this and I’ll take you to him. We can start over and be a proper family, the one we should’ve—”</p><p>“YOU ARE NOT MY FAMILY!” </p><p>His voice boomed through the room, shaking the table, plates, and utensils. In a fit of explosive rage, he apparated from the counter to Davies, seizing him by his collar. Every head was turned in their direction, even Lukas and Aubrey pausing in their tasks. </p><p>“I want nothing to do with you or your <em>spineless</em> father,” he spat, any shred of politeness gone. “You’re not on my hit list today…no, that’ll be a special day but if you’d like to speed it up, I dare you to tempt me. I’ll rip you and your brother Chester to shreds and drop your barely living corpses in the middle of teatime in the living room. As you’re taking your final breath, your parents begging for your lives, you’ll get to watch them suffer too. I’ll erase you like your father did to me and my parents.” </p><p>“C—Cayden, p—pl—please,” sputtered Davies, trying to pry his fingers from his collar. </p><p>As he unexpectedly loosened his grip, Draco thought he was remembering his rule of not harming a student, but he switched to lifting his wrist. He was staring at a bracelet made of blue and bronze string, which Davies had been wearing since the first quidditch match. </p><p>Davies winced as Cayden’s nails dug into his wrist. “Did I not tell you halfwits to scrub their magic before bringing them inside to limit tracking through a locator spell?” He was addressing a perplexed Lukas and Aubrey. “If you had, then why did you let him in with this?” </p><p>Lukas stifled a laugh. “A dinky bracelet? Why would we care about th—”</p><p>Struggling to breathe, he reached for his throat. Aubrey looked from him to Cayden, whose hand was clenched into a fist around the bracelet he tore from Davies’s arm. </p><p>“Because it has a protective charm, you idiot!” Tightening his fist caused Lukas to slouch over the counter. “And it isn’t his magic that cast it, which means it can be traced!” </p><p>“Hey, hey, take a breath,” said Aubrey, speaking like a mother soothing a child. “You’re spiraling down a crazy rabbit hole. The professors wouldn’t give a damn about a lame arts and craft project, Cayden. If they don’t know about it, neither does Kane and if he somehow did, he would’ve found us by now.” </p><p>As Draco and many others cupped their ears to muffle the sound of a blaring alarm, a piece of parchment popped out of thin air above Cayden’s head. He angrily hissed to both Aubrey and a wheezing Lukas and apparated out of the room. Roper whispered to Bones, the whispers carrying along the table. Overhearing Cayden, she learned that Dumbledore and the aurors were spotted near the compound. Had they actually been discovered thanks to a bracelet? </p><p>“Guess Dumbledore’s smarter than your deranged boss.” Lukas glared at Selene. “Do you think they’ll bother with a trial or just chuck you in a cell?” </p><p>“Stop being so sensitive, idiot,” said Aubrey, taking a sip of her wine. “They won’t get past the barrier. Next she’ll have you worrying that someone already got inside and masked themselves as one of us to fool everyone. What if they’re in here with us? Maybe it’s me.”</p><p>She made ghostly noises. “Shut up, Bree. We should be out there, not babysitting.”</p><p>“Did you get put in timeout, Lulu?” Jace Moore was leaning against the doorway. “Not ready for the big boy things?” </p><p>Fudge must have partnered with MACUSA to find the missing students. Lukas did not look threatened by the fact that he infiltrated their hideout. Draco had never seen them in action but both being aurors, he suspected they were fairly matched in a fight. </p><p>“Come to be the hero or has he sent you in as the guinea pig?” he asked Moore. “You can’t use your magic or it’ll kick in the building’s defenses.” </p><p>“Then how fortunate that I’m not using <em>my</em> wand.” Moore twirled the wand in his hand. “I found one in the woods with Dubois. I’d love to hear how you conned him into this bullshit. He gets spooked by his own shadow. I bet my masking charm will dupe your hexes.”</p><p>“We were prepared for that,” replied Lukas, grasping his wand. “Either way, it’s two against one.” </p><p>Moore made a dramatic gasp, his hand on his chest. “Congrats, buddy. You learned how to count and you’re absolutely correct. You against the two of us.” </p><p>Lukas went numb, Aubrey plunging a knife into his lower back. Was she a double agent, spying on Cayden and leading Dumbledore to his location? Draco’s eyes grew to the size of a quaffle as she reverted to Katrina. His mind reeling, he contended with the notion that Katrina had been masquerading as Aubrey, instead of the opposite, to mislead Cayden. </p><p>Shoving her into the counter, Lukas apparated, leaving behind the blood-stained knife. “Forget him,” Moore told her, flicking his wand to remove their restraints. “In and out. We’re on a time crunch.” </p><p>“J—Jace, how did you break in?” asked Abbott, as Potter hurried over to Katrina. </p><p>He healed a burn on Weasley’s wrist. “A story for later. I’ve got your wands but only Katrina and I can use magic without activating the protective enchantments. Less talking, more getting the hell out. The corridors shifted when the alarm went off and we have to find another exit.”</p><p>“Dumbledore didn’t give you a way out?” asked Chang, anxiously. “Shouldn’t we wait for him?” </p><p>Katrina’s face was mostly buried into Potter’s shoulder, her brother squeezing her in a tight embrace, but Draco noted a shared hesitation between her and Moore. </p><p>“He’s uh not here.” Eager smiles fell faster than a brand-new Firebolt. “Don’t panic. It’s a powerful illusion spell to make them think he’s out there with the aurors.”</p><p>“Moore, tell us you’re joking,” said Adrian, rounding on the auror. “You wouldn’t be dumb enough to come alone. You’re an auror and you don’t have backup? Where’s your father or—”</p><p>“They couldn’t get his exact location so they’ve been searching everywhere. I sent messages out but Cayden’s enchantments are interfering or they’d be with us,” he said, putting his arm around a trembling Abbott. “Fudge threatened to imprison any professor who left the castle too. You can see how this wasn’t my number one choice, Pucey. Cayden is going to figure out it’s an illusion so we need to go. We can bicker over who would’ve had a better plan later.”</p><p>Moore at the forefront, using an enchanted map as a guide, they sneaked out of the room, the corridors bathed in a bluish light. When they reached the end of a hallway, he and Katrina checked both sides for roaming guards and if their magic was intact. The invention that Cayden had alluded to in his conversation with Potter was a potion of his making, with the effect of restricting a wizard’s magic. Being released as a mist through the compound, they could become powerless while dueling a guard.</p><p>“Shit. Ward and Ortiz aren’t out in the woods anymore,” Moore whispered, glancing around the corner. “Lukas must’ve brought them.”</p><p>“A—are they aurors too?” asked Bell. </p><p>“No. Ortiz is a curse-breaker,” he said, rolling up his sleeves. “Kowalski’s used him a couple times when we have to investigate places crawling with dark magic. Ward <em>was</em> imprisoned at Shadow Isle but he got out on parole back in June. He’s dangerous. I’ll draw them away.” </p><p>“But Jace,” started Abbott.</p><p>“I’ll be okay, Han,” he said, reassuringly. </p><p>The moment he crept around the corner, he engaged the two men in a fight. Jets of colored light zoomed past them, striking the walls and ceiling. As a gangly, bespectacled man hit the wall, shaking it off like he was slapped by a feather, Katrina cast a barrier over the corridor, to hide them from view. Draco witnessed her fleetingly clench her wandless hand into a fist. The spells continued to zip past them, no clear sign of who was winning the duel. </p><p>“Why wouldn’t Lukas get Cayden?” Potter asked her, as she chanced a peek. </p><p>“Would you want to be the one to tell him that two teenagers broke into your super secret hideout? He wants to catch us before he finds out or he’ll act clueless,” she theorized, Daphne squealing at a stunning spell hitting the barrier. “Whichever saves him from having his heart ripped out.”</p><p>“How are you so sure?” said Chambers, his unabashed hatred of Katrina seeming to make him distrustful of her and not their kidnappers. “Why did Moore bring you?” </p><p>“Chambers, belt up,” snapped Dunbar. “Do you want to be trapped in that nightmare kitchen again?” </p><p>“No but it doesn’t mean we should trust her.” If they were not in such dire straits, Draco would be hexing off his mouth. “Something’s not right with you. How did you trick them into thinking you were Rhodes? Your impersonation was spot-on for someone who met her once when Moore brought you to MACUSA.” </p><p>“Not now,” Katrina told Potter. “Jace has been gone for five minutes. Get in that room.”</p><p>As she ushered them into a nearby library, she closed the door. Potter pulled on the handle, repelled by a charm. She intended to find Moore, promising to return before the magic wore off in the corridor and that Cayden’s guards could not enter the room. </p><p>“Harry, we can’t make noise,” said Granger, keeping him from pounding on the sealed door. “We have to be quiet. We’re not any help without our magic.”</p><p>“She left because of you,” said a heated Davies, accusing Chambers. “Why did you have to attack her?” </p><p>“Because she’s lying to us, Roger, and you don’t have to read one of Dunbar’s father’s articles to get that,” he argued. “Of anyone he could’ve gotten, why did Moore bring her? Fifteen years in a basement and she’s this talented actress who can mimic Rhodes perfectly? He couldn’t teach her all that. For all we know, she’s working with that psycho too.”</p><p>“I know one thing. I don’t need magic to knock out your teeth.” Weasley and Granger grabbed the back of Potter’s shirt. “You’ve had it in for my sister since that day on the stairs and I’m sick of you running your mouth, Chambers.” </p><p>A loud creak made them turn towards the door, the knob rotating as they collectively held their breath. Davies picked up a book from an armchair and when the door opened, he swung it, almost hitting Snape. </p><p>“Davies, are you mad?” he asked, knocking the book from his hand. </p><p>Everyone stood far from the door, fearful that he was a disguised guard. “We know you’re not Professor Snape,” said Selene, hiding Daphne and Pansy behind her. “The professors can’t leave the castle.”</p><p>“I’m well aware of the risk, Miss Carrow. The other professors are dealing with our esteemed High Inquisitor.” He stowed his wand in his robes. “If I were an imposter, would I know that you spent an afternoon in my office in fourth year after getting burned by a fire crab because your older sister Athena had referred to you as—“</p><p>“Okay, it’s him,” she conceded, her cheeks redder than Weasley’s hair. “Why are you—Moore said you could go to prison for defying Fudge.” </p><p>“That is not my greatest concern.” He peered around the room. “Is this all of you? Where is your sister, Potter?” </p><p>“Funny,” Draco heard outside the door. “I was about to ask you the same.” </p><p>At the end of the corridor, where Katrina and Jace had disappeared, was the real Aubrey and a hulking, muscular man. Draco did not know the man by name but he had seen his picture in the <em>Daily Prophet</em> heralding him for the capture of a criminal in Berlin a week after returning from his fourth year. Snape opening the library door meant Katrina’s spell was lifted, the magic sapped from the area.</p><p>“Look at you, breaking the rules. Such a rebel, professor,” she said, snidely. “Why don’t you have one of your little rats tell me where she’s gone? I’d love to snap her neck but everyone wants to bend over backwards for that bitch. Tell me where she is and I’ll spare your pitiful lives.”</p><p>“Aubrey, we can discuss this like proper adults,” he replied, cognizant of his disadvantage. “You should consider the fallout of your actions. If you let us pass freely, I will not inform the Minister that you were involved in this crime. You don’t want to be sent to Shadow Isle and abandon your mother, do you? And Stark won’t want to lose his recently earned Order of Merlin. Second class, wasn’t it? There’s no need for a fight.”</p><p>Her subsequent giggle was unhinged. “Fight? Is it really a fight when you’re outmatched? You’re stalling because your magic’s gone bye-bye. Even if you had it, our enchantments would make it turn on you and the effects would be tenfold and unless you’ve been hitting the gym when you’re not playing with your potions kit, I could beat you myself. I’m giving you an out so take it…or is your empty head muddling past and present and this is you making up for your mistakes? Maybe you see it as a second chance but I’d at least wait a few years to minimize the outrage.” </p><p>Snape’s dark eyes narrowed to slits. “Dumbledore is on his way with Kane Carlisle.” Neither she nor Stark flinched, likely believing it to be a deception. “You’d risk your capture or worse? Carlisle will kill you and tell Kowalski that it was necessary to rescue the children. He has no qualms against it.”</p><p>“Then you should tell me where she is, Snape.” Stark cracked his knuckles. “If I have to kill <em>you</em> to get your brats to talk, I will. Your life means nothing to me but it does to some of your students. I bet they’ll sing like canaries as I crush your—”</p><p>A metal pipe struck Aubrey’s face. Clutching her cheek, she stumbled, blood splattering onto the stone floor. A second pipe flew towards Stark, who caught it, but then a golden whip curled around his wrist. Had the potion not affected that part of the building? With a harsh tug, Stark was thrown off balance, the whip possibly weakening him yet deteriorating, and Katrina emerged from the side, pulling down on his head and sweeping his leg, like she had done to Draco in Hogsmeade when she lost her memory. </p><p>Draco watched her traded blows with a savage Aubrey, a deep cut on her cheek, certain that he was in a hallucination and had never left that kitchen. As she dodged a punch and whacked Aubrey across the face with the pipe for a second time, Stark grabbed her, lifting her into the air.</p><p>Just stall. </p><p>That was Katrina’s goal until Kane was at the compound. He had finally gotten Jace’s message but before he could join the party, he and the members of the task force had to fend off the curses enacted by Cayden and escape the fake hideout that began to implode when he received the note. Leaving the Hogwarts students in the library, she searched for Jace, to assist him and give him the good news, but fate had other plans in the form of Aubrey and another goon named Stark, a man with a troublesome past with Kane. They were threatening Snape, who had gotten to the compound, perhaps on Dumbledore’s orders, and knowing that they would hurt him, she went on the offensive. </p><p>The potion slowly affecting that part of the compound, Katrina was on her own in the fight. As Stark lifted her, his tactic being to crush her bones, she jammed the knife she had used on Lukas into his arm and with him temporarily distracted, she wrapped her legs around his neck and repeatedly slammed her elbow into his head. Aubrey was getting up, blood caked under her nose and a bruise under her eye. Using her upper thighs, she brought Stark to the floor, the blow rendering him unconscious, and kicked at Aubrey’s stomach, knocking her to the ground before driving the pipe through her leg.</p><p>“Fuck!” cried the petite brunette, unable to heal the wound with magic.</p><p>Feeling a soreness in her ribs, Katrina considered bringing her to a spot where she could regain her magic to heal her but her first thought was checking on Harry. A force like a troll’s club tackled her, causing her to land on top of Lukas. Gripping her shoulder, he flipped her over and as she tried to move, he put her in a chokehold. </p><p>“Miss me, kitty cat? Is this our foreplay?” he whispered in her ear. “You’ve been holding out on me. It’s getting me excited. It’s like we’re in my bedroom. I’ve been dreaming about that lots of nights. You missed our fun, didn’t you? That pleasure…ugh!”</p><p>His full weight no longer pressing into her, she regained her footing, a bloody metal pipe spinning past her. Lukas had Snape pinned to the wall, his forearm against his throat.  </p><p>“You can’t win, Kat. Give yourself up or he’s dead,” he said, taking a knife from his jacket. “If I nick the right artery, you won’t be able to get him somewhere with magic before he bleeds out. My loyalty is to Cayden, not Voldemort, so why would it matter if I killed him?”</p><p>“Do not listen to him,” said Snape, his voice strained.</p><p>Katrina jumped onto Lukas’s back, violently tearing into his neck with her teeth. The feral act led to him letting go of Snape and together, in his attempt to buck her off, they fell through an open door, blood gushing from his wound. He tossed her like a rag doll and as she landed on her side, she felt a tingling in her fingertips, the potion dissipating from the room. Not wanting to tip him off, she stretched out her hand towards the knife he dropped, wincing from him kicking her in the gut. Katrina seized the handle and shoved the blade through his sneaker, pinning it by transfiguring the stone floor to embed the knife. She punched him in the throat then across the face, Lukas’s head smacking into the floor. </p><p>Snape rushed into the room, his eyes darting from the inert Lukas to her. “Katrina, you’re in no condition to walk and I cannot heal you until we’re at Hogwarts. Moore has reunited with the students to lead them out. Carlisle and Dumbledore are at the outer barrier with the aurors. Let me help you.”</p><p>A strange sensation swelled in her gut. It was comparable to how wizards described using a portkey. There was a sudden shift in her surroundings, the new room ice-cold and empty. She slammed into the wall, an invisible hand choking her. Cayden appeared, his other hand holding a glass sphere that contained a swirling blue mist. The mist was expelled from the sphere, circulating the room. </p><p>“I knew you’d come. You gave yourself away when you interfered with Lukas’s punishment. Aubrey would’ve relished in his suffering but you care too much.” His nose nuzzled her cheek. “Don’t be afraid. I did all this for you so could be reunited, maravilla…my sweet marigold…ah, ah…”</p><p>Katrina whimpered as his wand prodded her ribs. He gently pushed her hand down from his suit jacket with his sleeve. </p><p>“I’ve removed that masking charm. You can’t hide behind Aubrey’s magic, not even with your siphoning, and I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself,” he said, his wand tip resting on her ribcage. “How bored you must be at that school, pretending you’re as unskilled as your classmates when you could take them out with the magic in a single finger. It’s brilliant, how you figured out a loophole to my potion when you latched onto Lukas and that illusion spell. The time delay was a nice touch.”</p><p>“L—let me go or you won’t get what you want,” she threatened.</p><p>“I already do. I told you that we’re family.” In her mind, she weakly cried out for help, praying that her magic could break through his defenses. “We only need each other. It’s why Kane kept us apart. Together, we’re unstoppable and he can’t have the pupils outshine the master.” </p><p>“If you hurt him, you’ll never get that dagger.” He moved his wand from her ribcage. “Yeah, I beat you to your buried treasure and I hid it somewhere after you kidnapped my brother. You could extract my memories but I split that one in half, meaning I have half of the coordinates and I put half in someone else. You want to kill Kane? Fine. Then you might lose that second vital piece. Maybe it was Kane, Harry, McGonagall…no, maybe it was that girl I split a cupcake with a month ago at dinner.” </p><p>Cayden jerked her head sideways. “You’re bluffing. Perhaps you did split the memory but you didn’t forget who has it.” As his lips grazed her ear, she touched the wall. “I’ve studied siphons my entire life. When you get a taste of magic, directly from the source, that satisfaction drives your every thought and you can’t fight the craving. You’d tell me anything to have more. Lukas would be willing.”</p><p>The door blew off its hinges, Cayden blasted by a jet of green light. Kane stepped into the room, instantly sensing the potion. </p><p>“Come to save your favorite?” mocked Cayden, wiping dust from his suit. “Careful, Kane. You might be developing a heart.” </p><p>“It’s over, Cayden. Having your guards unmasked? It’s rather reckless.” His wand disappeared under his sleeve. “Some of your sycophants have gotten away but we have their identities. You didn’t plan this well.”</p><p>Cayden showed no concern for his followers. “Not up to your standards, old man? You haven’t made a move. That’s not like you. Scared that you’ll lose or don’t want your precious protégé to see the beast who raised her? Go on and fight m—”</p><p>A silver glow formed around a stationary Cayden, his muscles frozen, matching the ball of light between Katrina’s hands. “He said it’s over. Take a hint.”</p><p>As the ball expanded, the floor crumbled beneath his feet and he plummeted deep into the ground. Woozy, the light vanishing into her palms, she was kept steady by a stunned Kane. </p><p>“How did you…” She nodded at a crack in the wall, less than an inch wide. “You siphoned through that?” </p><p>Kane carried her out of the compound, Katrina resting her head on his chest. The aurors, from the British Ministry and MACUSA, and Dumbledore were detaining the captured guards. Aubrey was not one of them, having escaped through a secret passageway. </p><p>“No smart-ass comment, scumbag?” Jace asked a tied up Lukas. </p><p>“I punched him in the throat really hard,” Katrina mumbled into Kane’s jacket. “I sprained his vocal cords.” </p><p>“That is an improvement. Alaric, Elizabeth, I’ve left a trail for you. You’ll find our mastermind at the bottom of a hole. I’d say about fifty feet deep. Go retrieve him.” The two aurors headed into the building. “Jace, don’t bombard her with questions. She siphoned a room full of magic. If I hadn’t disarmed those protective hexes, she’d be in a worse state. She needs her rest.”</p><p>“Poppy has a bed prepared in the hospital wing,” Dumbledore told him, ensuring he could not be heard by the British aurors. “Her injuries are a quick fix and I’ve asked Minerva to keep Dolores occupied. She’ll believe Katrina was one of the hostages.”</p><p>Jace offered to take her to the hospital wing, to allow Kane to interrogate Cayden and his followers. “Told you we could do it, tiger,” he said, quietly.</p><p>With a faint pop, he apparated back to Hogsmeade and brought her into the castle, past a haggard Umbridge being tormented by Peeves and his barrage of Christmas ornaments. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading!</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Dreams</h2></a>
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  <em>Katrina was standing in her childhood bedroom, the walls pink and a collection of stuffed animals atop her bed. Her four year old self was twirling like a ballerina, the painted animals on the walls mimicking her motions. As she spun on her heel, a doe doing the same, Cayden, wearing the task force uniform, entered the room, a shallow cut above his eyebrow. </em>
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  <em>“Very good form,” he praised, watching the younger Katrina. “Kane’s meeting with an old friend in New Orleans so we have the house to ourselves.”</em>
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  <em>“What if he sees you in my room? I don’t want him sending you away again,” she said, jumping up and down with a white bunny. </em>
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  <em>Lifting her up with one arm, he sat on her bed, Katrina on his lap. “It’s not your fault he locked me away. He’s giving me another chance. When I come back, I’ll teach you everything. Forget about Ilvermorny…or Hogwarts…they’re a waste of your gifts. You’re very special.”</em>
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  <em>“Are you going to fight the bad men?” she asked, worried. “Will you be back before bedtime? Maybe he’ll let you read me a story.” </em>
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  <em>“Not tonight, sweet pea.” He fiddled with her charm bracelet, a flower charm appearing next to her wolf charm. “I’ll be gone for awhile. It’ll seem like a lifetime to you but it won’t be forever. If you ever miss me, you squeeze that charm and I’ll come to you. What are we, huh?”</em>
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  <em>She smiled up at him. “Family.” </em>
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  <em>“That’s right, you and me.” At the sound of Kane’s voice, he rose from the bed. “Everything I’m doing is for us, Katrina. Remember that.”</em>
</p><p>Struggling to simply open her eyes, Katrina felt something cold and metallic press against her lips, followed by a sour liquid. The taste made her retch and she managed to open one of her eyes, Kane became visible, sitting beside her in a wooden chair. She immediately turned away from him, tiny coughs slipping through her attempt at pretending the potion had no effect. </p><p>“Ah, I see petulant Katrina is here.” Her stifled cough sounded like a squeaking mouse. “What is the reason for this grudge? Do you honestly believe Dumbledore would have let you accompany me in the search for those children? I kept your outburst contained, for the safety of you and the students remaining in the castle. If Fudge’s aurors had arrived before me, it could’ve caused a catastrophe, especially if they witnessed you defending yourself against Cayden’s band of dunces. Sometimes, diplomacy trumps reason.” </p><p>“Unless you’re apologizing, I’m not listening,” she mumbled into her pillow.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Katrina’s ears perked at those two words, ones forbidden in his vocabulary. “Perhaps it was a bit rash to seal you in that classroom but I knew that if you were free to roam, you would’ve offered yourself to Cayden. I can count the amount of people I’ve said those words to on one hand so you best cherish it. It was a one time occurrence.”</p><p>Facing him, she fought the stinging pain in her ribs. “I’d yell at you but it hurts just to blink. Did you lock him up yet?” </p><p>An odd feeling bubbled inside her as he explained that Cayden was not in the custody of MACUSA or the British Ministry. When Jace’s father and Elizabeth went to retrieve him from his fifty foot grave, the hole was completely empty, no sign of Cayden. Kane theorized that he mustered enough magic to apparate from the compound, to regroup with his minions that had not been captured by the aurors. Katrina could not honestly tell if the feeling within her was anger or disappointment. All of her and Jace’s hard work had been for nothing. </p><p>Despite the setback, Kane and the task force were interrogating his captured followers, Lukas being the most resistant to their methods. Cayden had obviously planned ahead, his followers unable to divulge any pertinent information without enduring unbearable pain from a curse. Though Lukas was not subjected to that same fate, he refused to cooperate with the interrogation, his years spent training with the task force giving him insight into their usual tactics and having the knowledge that Kane would never reveal his transgressions to the public, to protect his family name. It was why no publications reported Lukas as a conspirator in the kidnapping. </p><p>“He’ll need to crawl out of his hole eventually and I’ve got ears to the ground around the world,” he assured her. “We’ll find him. He’s still licking his wounds.” </p><p>“Father, please,” she heard. “You can’t barge in there. We’re supposed to be in Dumbledore’s office with Professor Flitwick. You promised me you wouldn’t do this.”</p><p>An angered middle-aged man in a dark green traveling cloak that matched his eyes stormed into the hospital wing, an apprehensive Roger, Katrina’s bag on his shoulder, at his heels and a middle-aged brunette woman and a boy around Cayden’s age, but not as muscular, two steps behind them. Based on their similar facial features, Katrina assumed that they were his family. While Roger took after his father, Chester resembled his mother and his uptight demeanor, plain by his wooden expression, reminded her of Percy Weasley. Roger had mentioned that like their mother, Chester worked in the Improper Use of Magic office at the Ministry and he tended to be the more responsible of the two brothers. </p><p>“Mr. Carlisle, I’m sorry.” He spoke as if Kane was anxious but Katrina knew her guardian was not fazed by a man he could snap in two with one hand. “My father overheard Professor McGonagall tell Harry that you were visiting the hospital wing and—”</p><p>“Do not apologize to him,” interrupted his father, surveying Kane like he was a dung beetle. “You lied to my face. For the past eleven years, we’ve been grieving for someone who we believed to be dead because we trusted your word and instead, we find out that he’s been alive and kidnapped our son. This is precisely why he should’ve been under our care from the beginning.” </p><p>Kane rose from his chair, Mr. Davies doing his best to not show fear. “And we would’ve arrived at the same result but sooner, long before he was a teenager. When we spoke at your Ministry the night of the fire, I warned you that he was unwell…that he was viewing the world through Amara’s twisted eyes. Do not put his madness on me. Perhaps you should’ve reached out to him instead of the occasional Christmas card that he chucked into the fire.”</p><p>“How dare you?” Mrs. Davies stepped away from her oldest son, clutching a handkerchief. “You blame <em>us</em> for what he’s become? Don’t twist the past in front of our boys. We tried to take him in but he wouldn’t hear our side of the story. I’d rather know why he faked his death and how he escaped your watch again. Robards told us that you left him alone in that underground compound. If you knew he was such a threat, why didn’t you take him in yourself?” </p><p>“I was tending to an injured student.” Realizing that Katrina was awake, Roger looked even more remorseful for his parents’ behavior. “The one in this bed. For all your rantings, your son appears to be fine and I doubt your whining will aid in her recovery.”</p><p>Mr. Davies did not seem to care about her injuries. “Well, that’s on you, isn’t it?” Katrina worried that Kane would tear out his throat. “Do you plan on taking her in next, to see if she goes mad as well from your teachings? We empathize, of course, but one can’t help but wonder if you had kept a proper eye on him, none of this would’ve happened, would it, Kane? We’re meeting Scrimgeour in Dumbledore’s office to discuss security measures and I’d prefer to hear your version of events.” </p><p>“This will be over quickly. Take your potion,” he whispered to Katrina, placing the flask on the bedside table. “And do not leave this bed.”</p><p>Roger stayed in the room as Kane left with the rest of his family. It was their first time alone since the night of the concert in Hogsmeade. When she had infiltrated Cayden’s hideout with Jace, she did not get a chance for personal conversations, solely focused on escaping without ending up captured themselves. She was unsure of what to expect, knowing that the Hogwarts students had seen her fighting in hand to hand combat. Had Kane or Dumbledore entirely altered their memories of their rescue or would that be too difficult of a task? </p><p>“You shouldn’t have seen that,” he said, taking Kane’s seat. “When we all got back, Umbridge clamped down on any of us talking about it, with students or professors. Fudge spoke with my parents about it directly yesterday and it must’ve leaked from his office. He had to put out a statement in the <em>Daily Prophet</em>. He tried burying it in the evening edition but a kidnapping at Hogwarts is a big deal.” </p><p>She slowly sat up, her bandaged hand on her ribs. “What did he say?” </p><p>“He said Cayden was acting alone, even though Harry says he works for you know who, and that he’s a deranged individual.” He handed her the flask. “He didn’t want to hear what Cayden had said to us. My parents agreed with him that we’re not reliable sources because he could’ve been messing with our heads. Besides, I don’t think he’d believe that you knocked out a 6’5 man without a wand.” </p><p>“Heh, about that…” she said, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. </p><p>“It’s okay. Mr. Carlisle told us the truth.” Her hand shook, the maroon potion spilling over the spoon. “How that death eater had studied his training styles that he taught aurors at MACUSA and then taught you them too because you know who feared him as much as Dumbledore and wanted a level playing field, I suppose. It was amazing.”</p><p>Katrina blushed at the compliment. Only Kane could concoct such a believable story though she doubted it would be sufficient for her entire life or against a knowledgable adult. What if the story reached someone like Umbridge, who would be suspicious of her ‘talents’ and want to dig into her past? From the day Kane told her that she would be going to Hogwarts, it was her main concern. </p><p>Seeing her grimace at the potion, Roger advised her to hold her nose, to block the sour taste. He grinned as she downed the potion, emitting high-pitched squeaks in her efforts to swallow it without spitting it back into the flask.</p><p>“Can take a punch but can’t handle a potion. Noted,” he joked. “How are you feeling, really? Madam Pomfrey wouldn’t let anyone visit and Jace wouldn’t tell Hannah how you got hurt. He just said Cayden cornered you. You never should’ve been in that position, Katrina.”</p><p>“He barely hurt me. I think this is mostly from Stark squeezing me like a grape,” she lied. </p><p>“You and Jace shouldn’t have had to go there at all. If Cayden hadn’t—I never knew about him until that day,” he said, conjuring a napkin for her to wipe the potion from her lips. “When my parents arrived this morning with Chester, they told me the truth about him. How they never knew he existed before the fire and wanted to take him in but my aunt and uncle put it in his head that they were the bad guys. I don’t understand what’s made him so hateful.” </p><p>“Sometimes, the answer isn’t black and white,” she said, knowing he was blindsided by Cayden’s relation to him. “You never met your aunt and uncle. Maybe being estranged drove them to warp the truth in their favor. It’s like Kane said to your father. There’s no proof that if he did live with you, he’d turn out different. I’m glad he didn’t hurt you. I thought he might when he was yelling at you.” </p><p>“You and me both. He might’ve if he didn’t get distracted by your bracelet.” He pulled it out of his pocket, the strings frayed from Cayden ripping it off his wrist. “Why did you enchant it with a protection charm?”</p><p>“I heard Pucey saying he was going to get back at you for showing him up in Potions,” she said, convincingly. “I didn’t think he meant dyeing your hair pink or putting something in your pumpkin juice.” </p><p>“Probably not,” he agreed. “Lucky that you did though. You’re not getting out of here anytime soon but I’ve got your bag and the homework you’ve missed. If it’s too hard to move, I can do it for you. It’s technically not cheating if you tell me what to write and I don’t want you overexerting yourself. I’d start with Transfiguration. McGonagall always gives a mountain of homework before the holidays.”</p><p>As Katrina sifted through her bag for her Transfiguration book, she noticed that pieces of parchment were missing, parchment she had disguised as notes from Hermione. If anyone else were to peruse the papers, they would see them as notes on the curriculum over the first four years at Hogwarts, to assist Katrina in catching up with her classmates. When she asked where Roger had found her bag, having left it in the empty classroom, he claimed that he had gotten it from Snape’s office while collecting her homework from the professors. </p><p>It was not until the next morning that Katrina, after initial pushback from Madam Pomfrey, was able to leave the hospital wing. Some of her greatest acting yet was pretending that she was not in pain from the basic movement of getting out of the bed. With each step, Katrina felt a dull ache all over her body but in the moment, she was motivated by frustration. She had to maintain the performance as she passed by students, many acting like she had been out for months as opposed to a few days, on their way to the Great Hall, leaning her weight on the banister. </p><p>Waiting for Pansy and her clique, their complaints about the professors coddling a redheaded Gryffindor brat likely about her, to leave the dungeons, she slipped through the door and did not stop until she was in Snape’s office. He was organizing the vials on the shelves and scribbling in a brown leather journal.</p><p>“Mister Malfoy, as I’ve told you since we returned to the castle, until I hear otherwise, you are prohibited from—” Turning away from the shelf, a vial of porcupine quills in his hand, he spotted Katrina. “Why are you not in the hospital wing?”</p><p>“Give it back,” she demanded. “I know you stole it from my bag and you had no right. It’s my property. I get that you and Kane hate each other but what I do outside the classroom isn’t your business. Is this my punishment for being reckless with Jace? I didn’t have any part in knocking you out but I don’t regret sneaking out to save my brother. If it weren’t for us, you wouldn’t have found them. <em>I’m</em> the one who enchanted Roger’s bracelet that was traceable and if I wasn’t there, you’d be suffering from worse than a scratchy throat.”<br/>  <br/>He put down the vial and journal. “Are you finished?” </p><p>“No,” she said, venting weeks of pent-up anger. “You’re a terrible thief and your lecture on befuddlement draughts potions was wrong. You said you couldn’t control the length of the effects but you can based on how thinly you cut the lovage leaves. Before you say it was disproven by Jigger in 1954, he admitted his findings were flawed a year later in the August edition of <em>The Practical Potioneer</em>.” </p><p>“You’re correct,” he said, simply. “You <em>were</em> reckless and unlike Carlisle, I wouldn’t reward such behavior. I would prefer that he not involve you in these matters but you did show you’re quite…capable of handling yourself. However, I cannot permit you to continue working on Cayden’s potion. It’s far too dangerous for a student to experiment with unstable ingredients.”</p><p>A stack of parchment, almost to her waist and containing her research on the potion, appeared on the desk. When Snape agreed to return the notes, on the condition of assisting her, she thought it was a trap but was backed into a corner. If she refused his request, she would have to start from scratch, hours of work wasted, and that would be complicated without having the sample in her possession. At the same time, she knew that Snape’s offer was not out of malice but regard for her safety. </p><p>“It’s impressive how much you’ve broken it down with such a small sample. I assume that’s why Carlisle kept you the weekend we retrieved from Lukas’s home.” Katrina did not confirm or deny his accusation as he scanned her notes. “An astute observation, to use ashwinder egg shells to dissolve the venom but they would crack from the powdered erumpent horn before they could neutralize it.”</p><p>He was clearly testing the limits of her knowledge. “Not if they’re dipped in re’em blood. It would keep the shells intact,” she countered.</p><p>“And how are you certain he hasn’t devised a way to combat that?” he asked, picking up the papers. “Creating such a sophisticated potion requires a level of skill beyond an average wizard.”</p><p>“Because for all his boasts of being better than Kane, they definitely have things in common. They’re too arrogant to admit their flaws and think they’re the smartest in a room,” she replied, seeing the similarities from their short interaction in the compound. </p><p>There was a shadow of a smirk on his face. “It’s worth pursuing once you’ve fully recovered. You can hardly stand without support.”</p><p>Despite her protests, Katrina was brought back to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey scolding her for a premature exit. The doting nurse forced her into bed with a tut of disapproval at her struggle to sit up straight. As a group of first years scurried into the hospital wing, complaining about runny noses and headaches, she left Snape to deal with a headstrong Katrina. </p><p>“There’s nothing wrong with needing rest,” he told her, Katrina pouring herself a glass of water. “It’s a miracle you’re not in a worse state and you would be if Carlisle hadn’t reversed those anti-magic hexes. He spoke with the Order about what occurred between you and Cayden and your claims of what you did with this dagger, one he’s been seeking even before he faked his death. As talented as you are, you couldn’t have split that memory. It would require a pensieve and the other person to be within your line of sight.” </p><p>“He doesn’t know that,” she said, watching Madam Pomfrey tend to a sneezing boy. “The second I mentioned it, it’s all he could think about and he wouldn’t know that I was sealed in a classroom until Jace broke me out. Now he’ll be busy figuring out who’s got the other piece. I told Kane I wouldn’t tell him where it is either.”</p><p>“Katrina, it would be safer in the hands of the Order,” he whispered, pulling the curtain around her bed to hide her from curious stares. </p><p>“You can’t open it anyway,” she reasoned. “The chest is sealed without a key and I couldn’t siphon it. Kane thinks it’s blood magic and unless you want to use a time turner to travel back to that fight, you’d spent a century alone searching for the right descendant. You’d need an insane amount of power to break through that kind of bond. It’s somewhere no one would go and he’ll think twice about hurting anyone.” </p><p>Any chance of peace and quiet was squandered by constant visits from Harry and her friends. With the amount of candy she received, she could open a sweet shop to compete with Honeyduke’s. The way they acted around her reminded her of the aftermath of the Hogsmeade attack, Harry being exceptionally overbearing by cutting her food for her and fluffing her pillows. While he treated her like a wounded baby bird, ironic when she was the one who rescued him, some, like Sophie, Fay, and Roger, wanted to move past any talk of their kidnapping, preferring happier subjects like play auditions, DA meetings, and Christmas. </p><p>When she was not pestered by her brother about her encounter with Cayden or fed potions by Madam Pomfrey, Katrina’s sought-after moments of privacy were short-lived, feeling like she was losing track of time. One minute, she would be doing homework after dinner, using Hermione’s notes for guidance, and the next, she would wake up to the sun streaming through the windows. The first time it occurred, she brushed it off as being too tired but then as she pushed back her blanket, she noticed that her hands were stained with dirt. Stranger than that, she was having recurring dreams about the forbidden forest, specifically where she and Graham located the dagger. The dream never progressed further than her descending into the underground tunnels. </p><p>She had hoped for Kane to visit again, to tell him about the dream in person, but he was busy with interrogations and searching for Cayden. The investigation was impeded by Roger’s father putting the brunt of Cayden’s actions on him, acting as if his nephew was that six year old boy and not a grown man who made his own choices. He pushed for Fudge to bring him in for questioning but not even someone as thickheaded as Fudge was willing to antagonize Kane, aware that his aurors had a better chance of handcuffing Peeves. </p><p>In the dream again, she finally stayed asleep longer, now walking down the tunnel to the cavern that encased the old chest. As she picked it up, a corpse-like hand rested over hers and the runes lit up one by one in a random order.</p><p>“Katrina! Katrina, what are you—can you hear me? Katrina!” </p><p>Bits of rock falling from the rumbling cavern, she felt the ground shift beneath her and was overcome by a sudden chill. It was not from the bony fingers piercing her hand but that she was outside, wearing a white night gown and slippers. A distressed Draco before her, she instinctively flinched at his attempt to grasp her arm, in addition to the freezing cold. Her panic surged when she discovered that they were standing atop the frozen lake, cracks forming in the ice under them. </p><p>“It’s all right,” he said, as if he could hear her wildly beating heart. “You won’t fall, I promise. Why did you come out here?”</p><p>Behind him, shrouded in the dense mist, was a slim figure, a disheveled Ravenclaw tie the only visible part of them. Draco glanced at the same spot, though he made no mention of the mysterious figure. </p><p>“What are you looking at?” When she did not answer, he turned back towards her. “Were you hearing a voice in your head? Katrina, I need you to say something.” </p><p>“I don’t…” The back of her hand bore five fresh cuts, exactly where she had been grabbed in her dream. “I don’t feel good.”</p><p>“It’s okay. You’re okay.” Taking off his sweater, he pulled it over her head. “Let’s get you inside. I’ve got you.”</p><p>Too weak to object, she allowed him to pick her up, tightening her hold on his shirt at the crunching sound of his shoes pressing against the ice. Her gaze lingered on the figure in the darkness, until the lake was a distant blur. As he walked up the staircase, she was mildly comforted by his quiet assurances that she was in no danger. A frantic Madam Pomfrey was hurrying out of the hospital wing in her pink dressing gown. Resembling an angry puffer fish, she was about to accuse them of inappropriate behavior, both teenagers spared her rant about raging hormones by Draco explaining that he spotted Katrina outside while he was on patrol on the first floor. </p><p>Blaming the late night stroll on the sleeping draught, she ordered him to get Katrina back in her bed. Katrina had trouble relaxing her grip, her dream and the figure at the lake still on her mind. Looking to Madam Pomfrey for approval, Draco offered to stay with Katrina until she fell asleep. </p><p>“Stay out of that bed, Mister Malfoy, or you will be sent to the headmaster’s office. I’ll know if there’s any funny business,” she warned. “And Miss Potter, no more sleeping draught. I’ll be keeping the door locked to prevent any wandering around the halls.”</p><p>As Madam Pomfrey locked the door in a dramatic fashion, eyeing them like they were about to tear off their clothes, a shivering Katrina laid her head on the pillow. Though she had not forgotten why she was cross with Draco, she appreciated his help, uncertain how or why she ended up at the lake. </p><p>“Do you remember what you were doing?” he asked, putting another blanket over her. “You were in a sort of trance. It might’ve been an imperius curse but no one could’ve gotten onto the grounds. They’ve tripled security at the Hogsmeade entrance to please the parents who are flooding Fudge’s office with angry letters.”</p><p>“I’m tired,” she said, softly. “I want to sleep. You can go.”</p><p>He grabbed a blanket for himself. “I told Madam Pomfrey I’d stay. Whether you hate my guts or not, I don’t want you sleepwalking and falling through a patch of ice or running into Filch.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t be trying so hard to get me to forgive you.” She felt her eyelids getting heavy. “I’m not worth it.”</p><p>Katrina’s last words kept Draco up for the most of the night. In all honesty, he had not planned to sleep much, in case she suffered another bout of alleged sleepwalking. He did not want to consider what may have happened if he had not been on patrol, swapping corridors with Selene so she could be on the same floor as Graham. Madam Pomfrey’s justification that it was from an overly powerful sleeping draught was not implausible but she had not been the one to find Katrina in a zombie-like state. </p><p>What if Cayden wanted revenge for her and Moore foiling his plans? Whoever or whatever he was after, he would be displeased that his efforts ended in failure, particularly at the hands of a fifteen year old girl. Returning to the castle that day was, to say the least, a hectic affair. While Snape went after Katrina, who had been attacked by Lukas after fighting off Stark and Aubrey, Moore led Draco and the other Hogwarts students out of the compound. They were poked and prodded by the aurors, checking for any curses or hexes, when Snape emerged without Katrina but before anyone could ask questions, Moore’s father physically preventing Potter from running back through the door, they were sent to the castle with Snape. </p><p>Sequestered in Dumbledore’s office with the professors, their relief over their return negated by Umbridge’s forced attempts to silence them by burning their mouths with cups of tea, Draco hoped to hear any news about Katrina. Instead, he was greeted by the arrivals of Fudge, Scrimgeour, Dumbledore, and Carlisle. Fudge showed no interest in hearing what they had endured, treating them as if they had overdosed on babbling beverages. He hardly contained his laughter when Davies asserted Cayden, his presumably dead cousin, to be the culprit. If it were not for Carlisle, Fudge would have irrefutably disregarded their testimony. The ploy he used to defame Dumbledore would not work on a man like Carlisle. </p><p>Though he had supported their story, Draco questioned if he had another motive. When Chambers mentioned Katrina, seemingly to paint her as an accomplice, he was quick to silence him, claiming to Scrimgeour that Katrina had managed to disarm Lukas. In private, once Fudge, Scrimgeour, and Umbridge left the office, he passed off Katrina’s surprising skills as the work of Crispin Lee, that he had trained her to fight from a young age to impress the Dark Lord. </p><p>Draco saw the holes in the story, knowing, from his father, that Lee’s recruitment was based on mind over muscle. It added to the thousands of questions that surrounded Katrina. The way she fought without magic, it matched almost too well with how Lukas fought a criminal over the summer, the image caught by a <em>Daily Prophet</em> photographer.</p><p>Woken up by something hitting his foot, he looked down at Katrina’s bag on the floor, her books, quills, and an open sketchpad between his legs. Draco’s heart leapt at her head resting against his chest. Deep down, he knew that Katrina was not ready to forgive him but he would cherish even the tiniest moments where she did not detest him. Gently placing her head on the pillow, he could not help noticing how she was dwarfed by his sweater, her hands buried beneath the sleeves.It boggled his mind that this slender, doe-eyed girl was able to take on a wizard twice her size. </p><p>Picking up her belongings, Draco kept the sketchpad on his lap. When they would meet in the library, he often waited a few seconds before approaching their table, watching her get lost in a book or a drawing. The note she had sent him, with the drawing of a clownfish, was tucked away in his trunk. If they were on better terms, he would be telling her how his mother loved art, always dragging him to museums and galleries, and sneaking in an offer to bring her along during the holidays.</p><p>He leafed through the sketchpad, admiring her work and stopping at a drawing that resembled the Forbidden Forest. In the middle of the gnarled trees was a floating white sphere. Katrina had drawn the exact scene, down to the finest detail, on several pages. He turned the page again, to  what appeared to be a map of the Hogwarts grounds. Black X’s were drawn at three random spots, connected by thin lines. As he lifted the sketchpad, he jumped at the reflection of a girl in the window but aside from him and Katrina, there was no one in the hospital wing. </p><p>“Enough of this appeasing nonsense, Albus.”  </p><p>Draco cracked the door open a sliver, seeing Dumbledore in the corridor with Kane Carlisle. Frustration was written all over the burly ex-auror’s face.</p><p>“Kane, you made a vow to Andrew in my office.” Carlisle gave a derisive snort. “This does not have to end in bloodshed.”</p><p>“Sometimes, I think you want to bury your head as much as Cornelius,” said Carlisle, the elderly headmaster responding with a somber expression. “Cayden won’t stick with this lone wolf act. I could see it in his eyes that he wasn’t prepared for that attack. If he believes a proper alliance with Voldemort is the key, it’ll be worse and Cornelius will be waving a white flag to save his own skin. Andrew doesn’t want to hear it but he’s beyond saving and underneath this veneer of peace, you know I’m right.”</p><p>“You are fond of your loopholes. Do you propose I perform the deed myself?” he asked, as if it was a preposterous idea. “Or will you offer a member of your team? You are not judge, jury, and executioner. Justice must be served and unlike you, I do see hope in him. His actions are guided by love…a twisted version but all the same.” </p><p>Carlisle rolled his eyes. “Spare me that lovesick drivel. He wants to control her, to use her for his benefit. If you want to take the harder path, fine. There are ways to stop him, besides death. She can do it, Albus.”</p><p>“No,” said Dumbledore, firmly.</p><p>“Power like that is rare and she’s got it,” hissed Carlisle. “It’s why he wasn’t ready for her. He was comparing her growth to his mother but Amara was nowhere near as strong and she hasn’t reached her peak. No jail cell is going to hold him. He needs to be put down for good and this is the solution. He had his hooks in the Montague boy to get information on her. How long before he charms another student?”</p><p>Draco wondered who Carlisle was referring to, in his plan to catch Cayden. If he truly believed that his former pupil would escape any prison, what could put an end to him besides death?  </p><p>“We cannot put that burden on her,” implored Dumbledore. “It’s dark magic and it comes with a price. This isn’t a question of whether or not she can handle it. Physically, it’s possible but it can take a toll on her soul. You see her for what she could be, not what she is, Kane. We will find another way.”</p><p>Carlisle scoffed at him. “Rather hypocritical of you, considering the burden you intend to place on her brother. This game of chess of yours isn’t accounting for all the pieces. Cayden needs to be taken off the board. We play with the cards that we’re dealt and she’s got a winning hand. There is no other way except—”</p><p>“No,” interrupted Dumbledore, refusing to hear another word. “I will not involve her in this fight. She is a student, not a pawn. We put their needs above our own and that will always be my priority. In these times, we must be united so I beseech you not to stir up unnecessary animosity by betraying my trust. Katrina will not be part of any solution we agree upon to deal with these dark forces.”</p><p>A loud bang stirred Katrina from her first peaceful sleep in days. Her eyesight bleary, she thought there was someone behind Draco but as she sat up, she saw only him, rubbing his foot. He apologized for waking her, having hit his foot on the chair. </p><p>“How are you feeling?” he asked, sounding overly polite. </p><p>Dumbledore entered the hospital wing with Kane and without either speaking, Katrina detected a prickliness between them. Their attention diverted to Draco, who was sticking her sketchpad into her fallen bag.<br/>“I caught her sleepwalking, professor,” explained Draco. “I asked Madam Pomfrey if I could stay to make sure it didn’t happen again. I didn’t want her falling through a vanishing step or ending up in the forest.”</p><p>Kane’s pale blue eyes flickered from him to the oversized sweater on Katrina. “Aren’t you such a gentleman? Your mother must be proud. She seems to have survived the night, thanks to your heroic efforts. Why don’t you get to breakfast, little Malfoy?”</p><p>Draco’s jaw twitched at his taunt. As always, what one may hear as suggestion were orders from Kane, never up for debate. Dropping her bag onto the empty chair, he briefly glanced at Katrina before leaving the room.</p><p>“Sleepwalking?” Kane asked her. “Did you hear a—”</p><p>Katrina tore her gaze from the door. “No voices. Malfoy thought it was an imperius curse too. I was having trouble sleeping so I took an extra dose of draught,” she said, a partial lie. “He found me by the greenhouses. Professor, do I have to stay in here another day? I’m all better.”</p><p>“That will be for Madam Pomfrey to decide,” said Dumbledore. Katrina groaned at the prospect of being trapped in the hospital wing. “You absorbed dark magic and I would prefer you not to strain yourself. I’d like to discuss the dagger, Katrina. I understand your reservations of revealing its location but even locked in a chest, it should not be left unattended, as we have yet to identify Cayden’s accomplice in the village. I can provide it with the proper protections.”</p><p>Kane brushed his thumb over his ring. “It’s in the Shrieking Shack. When Remus and I were writing to each other, he told me he used to transform there and everyone thinks it’s haunted so they avoid it. You need me to get it. I fortified my protection spell with blood magic.”</p><p>“That’s quite the feat at your age.” Dumbledore peered at her over his half-moon spectacles. “But as you may have learned from Kane, there are ways to break it without the source and we can’t take that risk.”</p><p>“You have a meeting with Dolores, don’t you, Albus?” asked Kane, his hands in the pockets of his coat. “She’s already asking too many questions. We don’t need to add to the list. Madam Pomfrey should be here in a moment. Once she clears Katrina, we’ll retrieve the chest and I’ll send it to your office.” </p><p>Kane had no intention of asking for Madam Pomfrey’s permission. After Dumbledore departed from the hospital wing, he ordered Katrina to change out of her night gown. As she followed him to the Shrieking Shack, taking a shortcut to avoid the aurors, she mulled over telling Kane about her dreams and Draco finding her at the lake. </p><p>“Don’t worry about Dumbledore and your little white lie,” he said, erasing their footprints in the snow. “Blood magic was a good choice.”</p><p>“You signaled that you wanted us to be alone,” she said, referencing his ring. “Why didn’t you want him to come with us? Do you not trust him with the dagger?”</p><p>“It’s not a problem if he wants it under his watch.” He held open the wooden gate that surrounded the Shrieking Shack. “I would prefer to focus on Cayden but Dumbledore and I differ on our methods. I haven’t missed my tedious conversations with Andrew Davies. He wouldn’t quit his badgering until I swore not to kill him.”</p><p>“Roger says his father wants to have Cayden committed to St. Mungo’s, if he’s captured,” she said, taking out her wand. “He’d be out of there within an hour. It must be hard on them, to think it’ll end any other way. He seems like the type who’d rather die in a blaze of glory than be thrown in a cell.”</p><p>“What if there was a third option? To both satisfy his family’s request to bring him in alive and put an end to his antics?” Katrina faced him, the two of them outside the rickety shack. “Do you remember the day of that dueling seminar? What you told me about the Malfoy boy?”</p><p>“First, Harry. Now, you. Do I have a bad memory or something?” she asked, sarcastically. </p><p>“I replayed that memory when you were asleep, before Lukas interfered with his charm. If it weren’t for you, he would’ve died. You were unconscious longer than you thought, Katrina. A healing charm wouldn’t have worked fast enough, not with that blood loss.” She looked at him, puzzled. “You channeled energy into him, to expedite the healing process, and you can do the opposite. You’ve seen it before, when you maintain a hold on someone. That is you draining their energy.”</p><p>“Yeah, you’ve told me that,” she said, not making the connection. “What does that have to do with Cayden? Unless you pin him down for me to grab his arm or his neck, it wouldn’t work. You locked me in an empty classroom so I wouldn’t go near him.”</p><p>“Your abilities are surpassing what Dumbledore and I anticipated but he won’t tell you that. He sees you as a little girl, not a strong, gifted witch.” His bitter tone indicated that she was the source of their disagreement. “If Cayden agrees to a complete partnership with Voldemort, he could divulge the secrets he’s been keeping to himself. This spell wouldn’t require a physical connection. You could perform it anywhere and transfer its effects, rendering him immobile.” </p><p>Whatever Kane was proposing, it was not a simple spell. They would begin practicing it when she returned to the manor on the last day before the holiday break, at the end of the week, instead of joining Harry at the Burrow. Her brother would not appreciate the change in plans, his one shared quality with Snape being their dislike of Kane. She contemplated asking Kane to at least allow her to spend Christmas Day with him and the Weasleys.</p><p>Heading back to the castle, after sending the chest to Dumbledore disguised as a jar of sherbet lemons, she updated Kane on her progress with Cayden’s potion.</p><p>“The ashwinder shells should work but we’d need a bigger sample to test,” she said, leaving out Snape’s involvement. “The issue is how to deactivate the venom if the potion’s in the air. I have a couple ideas. I was reading this book in the library about—”</p><p>Kane pulled the back of her sweater, saving her from a stinging jinx that hit the oak doors. Outside the dungeons entrance, Slytherins were packed in a tight circle, cheering and shouting, and the circle broke apart, from boys stepping aside for a better view, she saw Graham, a scorch mark on the left side of his face, crushing Draco’s head with his bicep, the blonde sporting a bruised eye. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. An Unexpected Connection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The rowdy brawl ceased with a lazy twist of Kane's pinky, the boys separated as Draco extricated himself from Graham's chokehold and encased in a dome that repelled their fellow Slytherins. Clawing at the dome, a distraught Pansy was about to snap at Katrina, who she believed to be the caster, but bit her tongue in front of the imposing Kane. The Slytherins backed away when he approached the dome, passing through to their restrained housemates. Without provocation from Kane, Graham portrayed Draco as the aggressor, proclaiming that he attacked him as he emerged from the dungeons with Selene, his girlfriend stammering in agreement.</p><p>Despite having minutes before the ringing bell, Kane blithely instructed the Slytherins to get to their classes. They dispersed in all directions, too intimidated to speak up against him. Graham and Draco were glued to the floor, the sticking charm not affecting the younger boy's attempt to hit his friend with a fist or a spell.</p><p>"So your father <em>has</em> taught you his cowardly moves. Attacking your opponent when his back is turned…didn't that very offense lead you to spend time as a ferret?" Kane asked, alluding to Barty Crouch junior, disguised as Mad-Eye Moody to take his post as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, transfiguring him last year as punishment for casting a hex at Harry. "I wouldn't be that kind. What's got you riled up then? Did he insinuate his manor is bigger than yours?"</p><p>"I don't have to tell you anything," spat Draco, breaking free from the charm and angrily pushing Kane.</p><p>With how swiftly Katrina moved between him and her guardian, she may have temporarily grown wings or been granted the speed of a billywig. She was the one thing saving Snape from writing to the Malfoys that their son was a heap of charred bones. Even Graham looked at him like he had a death wish.</p><p>"M—Mr. Carlisle, he didn't mean to do that," she said, nonverbally pleading with him to not hurt Draco.</p><p>"You try that again, boy, and you won't live to see another day," he seethed. "You think your Dark Lord is someone to fear? Unlike him, I don't need a spectacle to show off my power. You'll learn that lesson when you're out of the classroom and on the battlefield alongside your hapless father."</p><p>Katrina continued to shield Draco, anticipating that Kane's inaction could reverse in a heartbeat, as he shoved Graham towards the staircase to escort him to Charms. Accompanying Graham also provided him a chance to question him about his ties to Cayden, Snape disrupting his previous efforts when they were searching for the kidnapped students.</p><p>"What were you doing with Carlisle?" asked Draco, brusquely.</p><p>Katrina was not a fan of his ungrateful tone. "He wanted me to retrace my steps from last night, as best as I could, to check for signs of a curse. If you don't want me to finish what I stopped him from doing, you'll drop the attitude or I'll drop you in the Atlantic Ocean."</p><p>She waited for his latest excuse, to absolve him of his rude behavior, but instead, he became more resolute. "I've known him longer than you and he'd never back down because someone asked <em>nicely</em>."</p><p>"You're being a jerk because I saved you from getting beat to a pulp by him?" she asked, baffled. "Did you get dared to do it by your friends? Why would you try to pick a fight?"</p><p>"Because he's going to hurt you! I heard him with Dumbledore this morning, talking about Davies's mental cousin. He wants you to perform dark magic to get around a promise he made to the Davies about not killing him." It was likely the spell Kane sought to teach her over the holidays. "Cayden is after you too, isn't he? That was the trade, us for you. That's why Aubrey wanted you alive when she was confronting Snape. It's why he had Graham spying on you."</p><p>"Is that why you hit him? Whatever you think is going on, it's—" she started.</p><p>"My ears work just fine." He seemed troubled by her lack of reaction. "He doesn't care how it affects you, as long as it gets rid of Cayden. Dumbledore implied that it could kill you. That doesn't matter to Carlisle but it does to me. You matter to me. You're worth it to me, Katrina."</p><p>Taken aback by his impassioned plea, Katrina remained silent. It was no secret that Kane's hostile disposition had an adverse effect on people. He was not, as Jace once joked, Mr. Warm and Fuzzy. Those who met him perceived him as distant and antisocial, attributing his renowned reputation to an absence of morals. There were some, outside North America, who deemed him a wolf in sheep's clothing, a man as deadly as Voldemort.</p><p>To that end, she understood Draco's point of view, that Kane was plotting to defeat Cayden at the cost of her life in an 'ends justify the means' manner, but she knew Kane better than most, having been raised by him. She had been there to clean his wounds from a grueling duel and to ensure he ate when he was spending night and day on a case. It was Katrina who could see the regret at losing a single person, whether they were a member of the task force or an innocent bystander, that loss serving as a motivation. No matter what she said, Draco's opinion was that of someone who read about Kane in the newspapers or caught a glimpse of him at a social gathering, not someone who spent years in his care.</p><p>"You're overreacting," she said, her calmness causing Draco to shake his head. "It was nice of you to stay last night but Mr. Carlisle won't hurt me. What would I have to do with apprehending Roger's cousin? I have to change into my uniform before class. Can I get through Divinations without finding out you've been given a private hospital room?"</p><p>Arriving at the trapdoor to the Divinations classroom, Katrina flicked her wand, replacing her outfit with her uniform. The anti-Kane baton had evidently gone from Draco to Harry, who had run into Kane, speaking to Graham outside the Charms classroom, with Ron and Hermione. Though Katrina claimed that he was assessing the remnants of the linking spell, having lifted it the night of the concert to remove the pain but convince Cayden of his loyalty, she wanted to curl up into a ball when she learned that Kane spilled their holiday plans.</p><p>Her brother was not convinced by her talk of Christmas traditions and Kane not entrusting her well-being to the Weasleys. Openly voicing his suspicions, he nagged her throughout the day, keeping so close to her that one would assume they were tethered to each other. Her own bedroom was not a safe place, Harry scaring a pair of second year girls to tears to knock on the door and ask her to meet him in the common room since he was unable to sprint up to the girls' dormitories.</p><p>"Kane's used to us spending Christmas together." Harry grumbled to himself as they walked towards the Room of Requirement. "He's not a monster."</p><p>"Not to you. He talks to everyone else like they're scum," he said, resentfully. "He got some sick joy out of telling me that you weren't going to the Burrow. What if he's making you go to his home to siphon the curse that's preventing Cayden's goons from giving information?"</p><p>"It doesn't work like that," she said, pacing in front of the wall.</p><p>"Then he's using you to get to Lukas. He obviously knows about you two." Katrina tensed, hearing the insinuation in his voice. "At the hideout, Lukas said…things. He said you owed him. Are you and Lukas—"</p><p>"There is no me and Lukas," she said, disgusted. "He's an obsessive, lecherous creep. All I owe him is a padded cell. Why is it farfetched that Kane doesn't have a hidden agenda? He's a regular person, like you and me, and if you'd quit jumping to conclusions, you'd know that he agreed to let me visit the Burrow from Christmas to New Year's so we could celebrate together."</p><p>She had not brought that up to Kane but it alleviated her brother's skepticism. The lamps in the Room of the Requirement burst into light, revealing Christmas decorations. A hundred golden baubles hung from the ceiling, bearing Have A Very Harry Christmas! under a picture of Harry's face. Katrina giggled hard enough that she thought it might spark a renewed pain in her ribs. An embarrassed Harry, blaming Dobby for the comical ornaments, chucked a bauble at her, urging her to help remove them before the meeting. Using their wands, they transferred the baubles to a cardboard box, Katrina pocketing one in her bag.</p><p>As he tossed the final bauble into the box, people began to arrive, hindering him from hopping back on the conspiratorial train. Angelina had his full attention with the news that Ginny was the new Gryffindor seeker, the older girl not concealing her reproachful tone.</p><p>"Sorry we're late," said Fay, rushing through the door with Sophie, Michael, and Ginny. "Malfoy was bugging us."</p><p>"Malfoy? What did he want?" inquired Ernie. "Is he in the corridor?"</p><p>Michael took off his cloak. "No, we bumped into him near the Gryffindor common room. Ginny was putting away her Hogsmeade bags and he said Umbridge set him on patrol early. If she knew about us, he wouldn't be hovering by there. Probably was waiting to take points from a random Gryffindor for something minor like untied shoes."</p><p>"And you definitely weren't followed?" asked Hermione, wary of Draco discovering their group.</p><p>"No. He got sidetracked by Roger and Finn," said Sophie, brushing snow from her boots.</p><p>Considering it was the end of the term, Harry decided to review the spells they previously practiced, a disgruntled Zacharias bemoaning that he should not have attended the meeting. They divided into pairs while Katrina left the room to retrieve Roger and Finn, before the situation escalated to either them or Draco being treated by Madam Pomfrey.</p><p>"Were you born a smarmy git or did you crack your skull as a baby?"</p><p>The boys were by the Fat Lady's portrait, their wands drawn amidst a heated exchange. "You're not on patrol tonight. I made the schedule myself and Umbridge didn't change it," said Roger, brandishing a piece of parchment. "Even if she did and had you switch with Padma, why would she have you posted out here before curfew? First with the hospital wing, now this? You need to give the stalking a rest."</p><p>Draco held back a chuckle. "That's funny, coming from you. Take a look in the mirror. It wasn't my demented cousin who kidnapped the lot of us." Roger's hand balled into a fist. "If anyone should bugger off, it's you. Maybe it's not coincidence that you threw yourself in the fray in Hogsmeade. Maybe your family's not as naive as everyone thinks, Davies."</p><p>"Keep my family out of your mouth, Malfoy!" he shouted, both he and Draco simultaneously raising their wands.</p><p>Too far to cast an effective shield charm, Katrina touched the nearest portrait frame, the figures in the painting becoming motionless as she absorbed its magic. The boys, Draco and Roger both about to cast spells, fell to their knees, hands on their heads and groaning in unison. She released the frame, unintentionally siphoning from neighboring paintings. As she moved from her hiding spot, she halted at Chester racing up the stairs.</p><p>It was the third time he had visited Roger since his father's confrontation with Kane, supposedly to fulfill their mother's wishes. Mrs. Davies had misgivings of an owl being intercepted by Cayden, who could manipulate its contents to trick Roger. If not for Chester's warning that he had passed Professor Sinistra, Draco would have jinxed his younger brother but he settled for a sneer and disappeared down the staircase.</p><p>"Roger?" Feigning surprise, Katrina walked towards them. "Fay said Malfoy was bothering you. Were you fighting? Where is he?"</p><p>"Hoping to avoid a night with Parkinson and giving us a massive headache, literally," said Roger, massaging his temple. "His spell backfired and he ran off when he saw Chester."</p><p>"I'm gonna knock him off his broom when we play Slytherin," muttered Finn. "Chuck the quaffle right at his rat face. I'll channel it in the study group."</p><p>He winked at Katrina and departed for the Room of Requirement. Dodging Chester's wand, which was producing a healing charm, Roger swore that the pain from Draco's spell, though it was actually Katrina's, was gone and admonished him for his repeated visits, with two days until he returned home.</p><p>"I was dropping off a report for Professor Umbridge," stated Chester. "Our office is coordinating with the aurors on…<em>him</em>. You should be glad that she wants updates because she cares about her students."</p><p>If Umbridge cared about anything, it was the Ministry. "Do they have a lead on him?"</p><p>Chester glanced over at Katrina. "That's private. Where's Carlisle? Taken you off his leash?" Roger nudged his pant leg with the back of his foot. "I don't mean to be rude."</p><p>"When people say that, they usually are," she retorted. "Whatever issue you have with Mr. Carlisle, you shouldn't project it onto me. You and your cousin are the same age. Aren't you capable of owning your decisions?"</p><p>He wrinkled his nose. "My family isn't defending him. I met him shortly after the fire, the day my parents tried to bring him to our home. He was already showing signs of instability and Carlisle exacerbated it. I don't know what lies he fed you whilst you were in the hospital wing but he's not blameless. Our cousin was—"</p><p>His eyes drifted to the static paintings. Having previously met Cayden, had his parents told him about his aunt being a siphon and how to spot one? The portraits sprung to life, resuming their activities, after Katrina wiggled her fingers under her sleeve.</p><p>"Ches, this isn't easy for any of us," said Roger, trying to appeal to his brother. "I'm leading a tutoring session for OWLs with Finn. Tell mother I'll write to her before I'm heading to the train."</p><p>Showing some hesitation, his eyes briefly flickering to Katrina, Chester mumbled a goodbye and descended down the marble steps. "We're just reviewing spells and the meeting's halfway done. Do you want to come in the common room?" she offered. "Fred and George gave me a lot of candy and I'll be in my eighties before I get through it by myself. I have cauldron cakes."</p><p>"How could I turn that down?" he quipped.</p><p>Gryffindors were scattered around the common room, working on last minute assignments or discussing Christmas, vacations, and gifts. Grabbing the box of sweets from her bed, she sat on the couch with Roger.</p><p>"Did I offend your brother?" she asked, unwrapping a licorice wand. "I shouldn't have brought up your cousin."</p><p>"No, that's Chester's sparkling personality," he said, wryly. "My mother's a nervous wreck and he's become the family guard dog. He spent yesterday in Scrimgeour's office with my father, to nag about Carlisle working with the aurors. He went on about him being biased and nurturing Cayden's darker tendencies. It'll be double the fun when my family comes by for Christmas. Fudge's office must be submerged in howlers from my grandmother."</p><p>Katrina took out a wrapped box from her bag. "I was going to give this to you on Friday when we were at King's Cross. I had Harry pick it up for me in Dervish and Banges. I told him it was for Sophie so he wouldn't hex it." Inside was a two-way mirror, Katrina enchanting it herself to only work between her and Roger. "I thought it'd be more practical than sending owls back and forth. So if your family's ever driving you nuts, you have someone to talk to and to take your mind off the craziness."</p><p>"You might get sick of me over break," he said, resealing the box. "My mother's been saying that she wants to visit our vacation home in the French Alps, if we can get clearance from the auror office. Scrimgeour has two of them stationed outside our house until they capture Cayden but if we do go, I can use the mirror to show you the view or you could see it yourself for a day, i—if you wanted to…"</p><p>Several Gryffindors filtered through the portrait hole, including those who attended the DA meeting. Thanking her for the early gift, though looking like he had something else to say, he left the common room, to avoid being caught out past curfew. The girls were intrigued by his presence, believing that they had stumbled onto a romantic moment between him and Katrina. They giggled amongst themselves as she insisted that she brought him inside to stop him from fighting Draco. Katrina chose to wait for Harry, who was cleaning up the Room of Requirement, both to talk to him about Chester and to not suffer her friends' detailed analysis of Roger's microexpressions to insinuate his desire for a relationship.</p><p>Hermione and Ron stayed with her, respectively working on a lengthy letter and a Transfiguration essay. Half an hour, as Katrina tossed Ron a cauldron cake, her brother returned, bemused and in a stupor. Lost in his own head, he sank into an armchair and gave a halfhearted shrug to questions ("What's up? What's happened?") from Ron. Hermione suspected that his odd behavior was related to Cho.</p><p>Ron sniggered. "So—er—what did she want?"</p><p>"She…" Harry cleared his throat, his voice low. "She—er—"</p><p>In trying to figure out why he was acting bizarrely, Katrina accidentally used her occlumency, seeing an image of him and Cho under mistletoe. "You kissed!"</p><p>Her loud exclamation, combined with Ron's triumphant cheer ("HA!"), startled the second years by the window. Harry responded by throwing a decorative pillow at Katrina.</p><p>"Katrina," he hissed, mortified. "Why don't you shout louder? They didn't hear you at the Hog's Head."</p><p>"Well?" asked Ron, rolling on the hearthrug in a fit of snickers. "How was it?"</p><p>The kiss had not gone perfectly, according to Harry. While Ron joked that Cho's crying was a sign that Harry's kissing skills were subpar, Katrina and Hermione were sympathetic, knowing that it was not his fault. Though she and Cho were not close friends, Katrina had seen her bouts of crying around the castle, from the Great Hall to an empty corridor. The toll of losing Cedric weighed heavily on her and Hermione explained that she was in a whirlwind of emotions, juggling her past feelings for her ex-boyfriend and these new feelings for Harry.</p><p>Neither he nor Ron seemed to grasp such complexities. For all of his bravery and knowledge, Harry lacked a basic understanding of girls. Katrina and Hermione restrained themselves at his idea of comforting Cho by patting her on the back and his confusion over asking her on a date. Hermione set off for the dormitories after a brief discussion on the subject of her letter, which was trailing on the floor, Ron disgruntled by the mention of Viktor Krum but joining her on the staircase.</p><p>"Why didn't you come back to the meeting?" Harry asked Katrina. "Did you get into it with Malfoy? Finn said he got scared off by Roger's brother."</p><p>"And by me," she replied, waving her hand. "Roger and Finn were arguing with Malfoy. I got a boost from a portrait to break them up and then Chester was there to scare him with talk of Sinistra being nearby. Something's up with him."</p><p>"Malfoy's a git," he said, bluntly. "What else is new?"</p><p>She cleared away the wrappers from the floor. "Not him. I'm talking about Chester. He's been visiting Roger a lot. This time, he happened to be around because he was delivering a report to Umbridge about the Cayden investigation. Why would he do it in person?"</p><p>"Are you overreacting because his family hates Kane?" he asked, implying that her relationship with Kane was clouding her judgement.</p><p>"No, it's not about Kane," she argued. "Chester claims his office is aiding the aurors in their search for Cayden. Why would they need the improper use of magic office? They're responsible for monitoring underage magic or a grown wizard using magic in front of muggles. Cayden wouldn't be dumb enough to do that."</p><p>Harry crossed his arms. "Even if he's lying about that, maybe he wanted to check on his younger brother. He <em>was</em> kidnapped, Katrina. Instead of digging into Roger's family, think about how we close are to no more Snape or Umbridge for a couple weeks. That's a cause for celebration."</p><p>Practically pushed towards the staircase, Katrina retreated to her room, where Lavender was prattling on to Sophie about getting Seamus under a sprig of mistletoe before their last lesson. Lavender's perky voice, gushing about the cute ways he pronounced certain words, carried into her dreams of the forbidden forest.</p><p>Lowering herself into the tunnels, she was lured from her typical path, leading to the dagger, by a glowing ball of white light. It guided her through the narrow walls that seemed to be calling out to her, the voices suppressed by the chipped stone. The light hovered at a dead end, illuminating a handprint embedded into the wall. As she laid her hand over it, the voices became a deafening roar and the stone engulfed her hand, a fiery sensation spreading through her.</p><p>The wall to the left of her crumbled, uncovering the windowless corridor she had seen in her previous dreams. A large green snake slithered across the floor, towards a dozing Mr. Weasley. Just as Mr. Weasley leapt to his feet, the snake struck, plunging its fangs into his flesh. Yelling in pain, he slumped against the wall and Katrina struggled to remove her hand from the stone. The corridor was sealed up, Mr. Weasley appearing lifeless on the floor, and the pieces of stone seeped up her arm. The fire within her raged, blue flames forming around her in a circle.</p><p>"Miss Potter!" Something grabbed her from behind the wall. "Miss Potter!"<br/>Katrina was woken up by a figurative punch to the gut. Her heart beating like a hummingbird's wings, she saw a distraught McGonagall above her, cradling the back of her head. Grey smoke hung in the air, stemming from the blue flames of her dreams burning the posters and photos on the walls and on the wooden floor. The other fifth year girls were seizing in their beds, siphoned by Katrina in her sleep.</p><p>"You need to calm yourself, Katrina," said McGonagall, extinguishing the flames. "Your magic is acting up. Listen to my voice."</p><p>Another set of flames manifested on her blanket. "I—I can't."</p><p>"Yes, you can," she affirmed. "I cannot help if you continue to siphon from them. Deep breaths. In and out."</p><p>Steadying her breathing, Katrina regained control and the girls ceased their erratic flailing. Waving her wand, McGonagall repaired the charred room and her blanket.</p><p>"I didn't know I was doing that." Tears stung Katrina's eyes. "I was dreaming about—I—I was—Mr. Weasley was in a hallway and—"</p><p>"It was no dream. Put on your robe," instructed McGonagall, retrieving her silk robe from her trunk. "Professor Dumbledore will explain in his office. Your brother is waiting there."</p><p>Drying her tears, Katrina tied her robe. She hesitated to get out of bed, afraid that she would continue siphoning from any nearby source. McGonagall ushered her out the door and down to the common room, where Fred, George, and Ginny were standing in their pajamas. McGonagall's urgency intervened with them asking why Katrina was so shaken, Purrsephone in her arms and dabbing at the tears trickling down her face.</p><p>As they were led to Dumbledore's office, Katrina kept her distance, the image of her friends gasping for air fresh in her mind. Harry, looking almost as bad as Katrina, and a white-faced Ron were sitting in wooden chairs, neither saying a word to Dumbledore who was holding a blackened kettle.</p><p>"Harry, what's going on?" asked Ginny, frightened. "Professor McGonagall says you saw Dad hurt—"</p><p>Is that why McGonagall had been certain that Katrina had not been dreaming herself? Like what she had seen, Mr. Weasley was injured while on a mission for the Order and was taken to St. Mungo's for treatment. Intending for them to stay at Grimmauld Place, its location secure and closer to the hospital than the Burrow, he indicated that he had enchanted the kettle as a portkey. A golden feather, a warning from his phoenix Fawkes, floated between him and McGonagall.</p><p>A faint hum radiated from the cupboard behind him. "She must know you're out of your beds…Minerva, go and head her off…tell her any story…"</p><p>McGonagall hurried out of the office, as a bearded wizard materialized in an empty portrait with a backdrop of a Slytherin banner, informing Dumbledore that he had spoken to Sirius, his great-great-grandson, about the abrupt visit. Dumbledore gathered them around his desk to touch the kettle. As Katrina lightly gripped its handle, she was sidetracked by the humming cupboard.</p><p>In a flash, they were transported to the basement kitchen of Grimmauld Place. "Back again, the blood traitor brats, is it true their father's dying…?"</p><p>"OUT!" roared a second voice.</p><p>An unshaven Sirius shooed away Kreacher before stretching out his hand to a fallen Katrina. She refused to take it, feeling her magic crackle beneath her fingertips.</p><p>Raising his hand towards a concerned Harry, who was approaching, he bent down to her. "It's all right. I've got you. It's the kettle, isn't it?" he whispered, vanishing the dusty kettle. "You won't hurt anyone. We can stay on the floor."</p><p>Katrina buried her head in her knees, doing her breathing exercises and listening to Harry retell his realistic dream to Sirius and the Weasleys. It was exactly like Katrina's, from the description of the snake to where it had bitten Mr. Weasley.</p><p>She stiffened at Sirius's arm around her shoulders. "You saw it too. Is that what's got you scared?"</p><p>"Is Mum here?" Fred asked him.</p><p>"She probably doesn't know what's happened yet." He conjured a calming draught. "The important thing was to get you away before Umbridge could interfere but I expect Dumbledore's letting Molly know now."</p><p>Katrina wished that the draught's effects were immediate, her nerves spiked from the ensuing argument between Sirius and the Weasley children. Their priority was to be with their ailing father, not putting on a facade for the Ministry to avoid inquiries into how they learned of their father's fate before the watchwizards or Fudge. Like with the Cayden situation, it was about public perception. If the Ministry learned of Harry and Katrina's shared vision or the true reason for Mr. Weasley being in the building, it could hinder the Order's efforts.</p><p>"Your father knew what he was getting into and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order!" said Sirius, angrily. "This is how it is—this is why you're not in the Order—you don't understand—there are things worth dying for!"</p><p>"Easy for you to say, stuck here!" bellowed Fred. "I don't see you risking your neck!"</p><p>The table smashed into the wall, sparing Fred from dodging Sirius's fist. "Hey, what's going on?" Recognizing Jace's voice, she blindly clung to him like she was dangling off a cliff. "You need to cool it, Fred. I've been where you are more times than I can count and screaming won't make you feel better. All you can do is wait until there's news. I'm going to take her upstairs."</p><p>Jace brought her to the room she lived in during the summer. The calming draught beginning to work, her heartbeat slowed down, Katrina retaining a modicum of control and using a shield charm to repel him.<br/>"Talk to me. I heard Sirius say you and Harry had a vision but whatever's happening, it's only affecting you," he said, switching into detective mode. "What's making your magic go haywire?"</p><p>Katrina opened up about her dreams of the tunnels beneath the forbidden forest, her vision of Mr. Weasley in the corridor, and how she siphoned her dormmates and set the room ablaze. She had not been this unstable with her magic since the day in the Great Hall, when Cayden possessed Roger. Jace speculated that it was connected to the hot spot in the forest, such potent magic enticing her siphon abilities.</p><p>"That magic's been in the ground for centuries. To you, it's like a buffet. Maybe it has to do with taking the dagger." He reversed the shield charm and sat beside her, conjuring a vial of purple potion. "Until we have a definite answer, we need to cut off the nightmares. You're going to take a dreamless sleep potion."</p><p>"But—" she started.</p><p>"No buts," he said, sounding eerily like Kane. "Nothing good will come out of you going through this night after night and Kane would agree with me. If Cayden wants this dagger, it's not to achieve world peace. You don't meddle in magic you don't understand, Katrina."</p><p>She sniffled, wiping her eyes. "Where is Kane?"</p><p>"Interrogation. I was in the living room when Sirius sent the note so that's why I'm here," he replied, allowing Purrsephone to crawl across his lap. "He's cracking that shell of his but I'll give it to Lukas. He's resilient. The most we've gotten out of him is that whoever let them into Hogsmeade, they used lobalug venom to break the barrier. It's too high of a price for the apothecary in Hogsmeade but we're keeping tabs on it. Kane has us contacting underground dealers."</p><p>There was a soft knock on the door. Seeing Harry, Jace offered to give them privacy, leaving the room to check on Sirius and the Weasleys.</p><p>Her brother handed her a bottle of butterbeer. "You saw it? How did you um—did you see the actual snake or—were you inside it?"</p><p>"I was at the end of the corridor. What do you mean by inside? Is that how you saw it happen?" she asked, noting his guilty expression. "Harry."</p><p>"It's like I was the snake," he admitted. "And then when we were in Dumbledore's office, this hatred took over and I wanted to hurt him. I didn't feel like myself. How did we have the same vision? I don't think it's the first time. Do you remember our first Divinations lesson? You were telling Sophie about a corridor in your dream. I've been dreaming about it too."</p><p>"Twins can sometimes have a connection through their magic," she explained, taking a sip of her butterbeer. "Kane used to have it with his sister. They were able to sense each other's emotions and amplify their spells."</p><p>"Used to?" The mention of Kane had taken his mind off of the vision. "Does it go away with old age?"<br/>"In their case, no. She gave up her magic to be with Lukas's father. He's not the greatest example for a father figure. He was involved in a seedy business and to get him out of trouble, she let this dark wizard take her magic," she said, Jace telling her the story after Lukas rejected a gift she made for his eleventh birthday. "His father ran off anyway and it broke her. It's why Lukas despises her and Kane's kept her from running out on him."</p><p>"That's horrible," he said, dumbstruck.</p><p>"I don't know how we saw the attack but you didn't hurt Mr. Weasley. Everyone knows that so if they say different, don't take it personally." His slight nod was not one of confidence. "We'll get to the bottom of it."</p><p>Most of the night was spent in silence, no one willing to fall asleep on the chance that they would miss news of Mr. Weasley's condition. An hour in, Katrina, who had been waiting for Kane, could not sit still, choosing to occupy herself with her potions research. She holed herself up in her room, with Purrsephone for company. By five in the morning, she was fed up with her inability to think clearly and no response from Kane. Could he be interrogating Lukas nonstop and if that were not the case, why was he not at Grimmauld Place?</p><p>Jace broke her out of her self-imposed isolation for lunch. He would not listen to any of her excuses, tossing her notebook onto her bed and carrying her downstairs, past five trunks, like a mother cat with its kitten. Plopping her in a chair beside Ginny, he took a plate of food from Mrs. Weasley, who greeted her with a weary smile.</p><p>"Eat or I'll shove a cherry in your mouth." She grimaced, picking up a fork. "You're eating until you're the size of Malfoy's giant head."</p><p>Ginny giggled into her goblet of pumpkin juice. Everyone was much more talkative than the night before, with the news of Mr. Weasley being patched up by the healers, aside from Katrina and Harry. Like her, he did not seem to get any sleep, preoccupied with the vision.</p><p>Halfway through her second helping, Kane walked into the kitchen with her peacoat. "Jace, aren't you supposed to be meeting with Natalie?"</p><p>"I'm savoring the moments before she bores me with her unrelated stories," said Jace, muffled by a mouthful of roasted potatoes. "It's torture for my ears. Have you considered using her to make Lukas snap?"</p><p>"Her time is limited and she may have a lead," he said, not in the mood for his humor. "Get to it and Katrina, put on your coat."</p><p>"There's no rush to get to the hospital, Carlisle. Let her eat," asserted Sirius. "It's been a rough night."</p><p>"Katrina is coming home with me." Harry became irritated while the Weasleys were surprised by his remark. "Molly, give Arthur our best."</p><p>"Hold on, are you forgetting what we talked about with Dumbledore?" said Sirius, rising from his chair. "They're spending the holidays here."<br/>"If you're that desperate for companionship, Black, by all means, keep the boy." Her brother glared at Kane. "I require her temporarily so you can pare down the waterworks. Get up, Katrina."</p><p>Knowing that Kane never liked asking twice, she mouthed an apology to a disgruntled Harry and followed Jace through the door. Once they were outside Grimmauld Place, Jace apparated to Natalie's apartment and Kane apparated with Katrina to his manor. Together, they headed to the basement.</p><p>"This interrogation with Lukas is going in circles. Cayden's got him well-trained and without the knowledge of his inner workings, it won't matter if we find him. That's where you come in," he said, tapping the steel door with his wand.</p><p>"You want me in there with him?" she asked, not thrilled about being around Lukas.</p><p>"It's how he's been resisting our methods, by flooding his every thought with you. He's seen through polyjuice potion and illusions. Gain his trust and once you're in his mind, you'll send me a signal." He moved his wand diagonally, lifting the protective enchantments. "If he senses me, he'll know it's a trap. Make him believe you came of your own accord. If at any time you get nervous, you can leave. He can't break out."</p><p>As he climbed up the steps, she opened the door. Lukas was shackled to the wall, Kane's torture methods on full display. His left eye was swollen shut and he had deep gashes across his chest. Mentally bracing herself, she ambled towards him, Lukas tilting his head up at the sound of her heels.</p><p>He coughed, spitting blood. "This again, uncle? You're getting stale. I'm not falling for it. You can show yourself."</p><p>"Kane's out with Alaric. I—I didn't—he told me he wasn't hurting you. It must be why he wouldn't let me come down here," she said, adopting a sympathetic tone. "I didn't think he'd do this."</p><p>"Nice tr—" She unfastened his shackles, causing him to collapse to the floor. "What are you doing?"</p><p>"I don't care about what you've done. It's not worth beating you to death." Cupping his face, she planned to siphon him enough to penetrate his mind, a simple task in his weakened state. "I can't let you out but let me heal you. I'll deal with Kane yelling at me later."</p><p>Katrina was unprepared for his lips crashing down on hers. At first, her body was numb but then, she experienced a new feeling, like she had been struck by an intense cheering charm and ingested multiple invigoration draughts. Coming to her senses, she pulled back to Lukas looking at her with a glassy-eyed stare. Her wand shot golden sparks beneath the steel door.</p><p>"That was quick," said Kane, reinforcing the enchantments. "I should've utilized you sooner, to save me a headache. I doubt Cayden's told him his darkest secrets but any information is useful. Let's begin."</p><p>As he rested his wand against Lukas's forehead, Katrina sat on her knees in a trance, touching her lips.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Truth and Consequences</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re seriously not going to apologize?” </p><p>Graham broke the long silence in Snape’s office. It was the first time they were alone together since Draco impulsively attacked him outside the dungeons entrance. A solid punch across his jaw led to a full-out brawl, their housemates either attempting to separate them without getting caught in the crossfire or cheering them on for early morning entertainment. Draco refusing to explain his actions or talk it out, as suggested by Selene, caused their mutual friends to form a physical, sometimes magical, barrier between them to prevent another fight when they were within striking distance of each other. </p><p>The morning after, Pansy broached the touchy subject, hassling him as he descended down the staircase with Crabbe and Goyle. He almost yelled at her, until he overheard Astoria and her friends muttering about the Potter twins. One of the girls, on her way to the owlery, overheard some Gryffindors discussing how both Potters and the Weasleys had left the castle the previous night. No one was entirely sure why they left early for holiday break but there were rumors that the Weasleys’ father had been injured at the Ministry. </p><p>Their sudden departure was the main topic throughout breakfast, the conversation passing through the four house tables. The Gryffindors did not know much themselves, except for Finnigan claiming that Potter was wildly rambling to McGonagall that he dreamt about the attack. Though Draco knew they were meant to spend the holidays with the Weasleys, he thought it strange that he and Katrina could not wait for the official end of term to reunite with them. Even stranger was a conversation between Dunbar, Roper, and Patil while he stood behind them to gather potion ingredients, all three having the same dream and Roper swearing that she could feel her sheets burning in the middle of the night. None of Katrina’s roommates had seen her leaving their room, being told so that morning by McGonagall. </p><p>If anyone could answer his questions, it was Snape and he hoped to speak with him when the potions professor stopped him halfway to the quidditch pitch for a final practice before the holidays. Looking uncharacteristically tense, he brought Draco to his office, where Graham was already seated and ordered them to remain in the room for his return. Expecting that someone had snitched to him about their fight, neither said a word, Draco focusing on the herb on Snape’s desk. He remembered it from his last time in the office, when he was upset over his fight with Katrina. Like then, its stem was flickering in color, turning a deep shade of red for at least a minute. </p><p>His concentration was broken by something hitting his head, a cork falling onto his lap. Hearing a soft tap, he raised his hand, catching another cork that had been flung by Graham. </p><p>“What’s your problem, Draco?” he asked, crossing his arms. “You’ve been acting like a nutter. Are you mad that I said your form was off last practice?”</p><p>“Do you want a piece of parchment to write it down for your boss?” Graham looked at him, quizzically. “I know that you’ve been helping Cayden. Don’t bother denying it. I overheard Carlisle talking to Dumbledore about it outside the hospital wing yesterday.”</p><p>“Is that why—it’s not what you think,” he said, lamely. </p><p>Draco reined in the desire to throw another punch. “Really? So you weren’t spying for him? You were the one who let him into Hogsmeade, weren’t you?” </p><p>“No!” he protested. “I didn’t have anything to do with that. I found out it was him when I went into the pub and saw the chimaera symbol on the wall. It’s what he calls his group. His followers have the symbol on them.”</p><p>Graham showed him a partial dragon’s tail on his wrist. Pulling his sleeve over it, he admitted to initially meeting with Cayden a month before the beginning of the school year. He had been attending a charity fundraiser with his father and Celeste, his new, extremely young stepmother (who Graham openly despised), in Manhattan, the host being a family friend, when he bumped into Lukas. Under the public eye, they exchanged curt pleasantries but Graham’s mood soured as the newly instated auror mentioned Graham’s mother’s imprisonment in Azkaban. </p><p>Lukas claimed that he had heard that there were plans to execute Mrs. Montague, the head guard believing it was a well-deserved punishment. He offered to introduce Graham to a friend of his, who had connections to the guard, and that was when he met Cayden in the host’s rose garden. In exchange for spying on Hogwarts, Cayden would ensure Mrs. Montague’s freedom. Graham knew nothing about his relation to the Davies until the attack in Hogsmeade, when he met with Lukas at the Hog’s Head that night and the older boy was suppressing soreness from a brutal hex with liquor. Cayden had punished him for injuring Roger, explicitly telling him that any pain inflicted on his estranged cousin would be by him alone. </p><p>“If I knew he was going to come after Selene or any of you, I would’ve gone to Snape.” He cupped his wrist. “Carlisle interrogated me after you lot were taken and he removed the linking spell on the mark. It’s how Cayden would tell me what he wanted from day to day, whether it was Dumbledore’s whereabouts or—”</p><p>“Or Katrina’s?” asked Draco, not yet ready to forgive him. “Carlisle said you were spying on her. Why?” </p><p>A hesitant Graham was interrupted by Snape returning to the office with Theodore, Adrian, Selene, and Pansy. He sealed the door with a charm, conjured extra chairs, and sent a folded note through the fireplace. </p><p>“Professor, what’s going on?” asked Pansy, sitting beside Draco. </p><p>He stood by the fireplace, awaiting something in the roaring flames. “You will be leaving a day early for the holiday break. There’s been an incident and your families would like you home. For now, you’ll be traveling to Malfoy Manor.” </p><p>“What do you mean incident? What happened?” pressed Adrian. </p><p>“Some of them encountered a bit of trouble while on a mission tonight. That is why I’ve only brought you six into my office,” he said, attempting to assuage their fears. “From what your father has told me, Selene, their injuries are not life-threatening. You will not speak of this to anyone else, by owl or any other means. Draco, inform your father that I will be there shortly. I must speak with the headmaster and Professor Umbridge may have her own questions.” <br/>His eyes briefly shifted to the herb on his desk, its stem a pale yellow. As the flames in the fireplace turned green, Snape sent them through, one by one, Draco being the last. Stepping out into his living room, he crashed into Theodore. He and the others were frozen, in fear and anger, and following their gaze, he saw a giggling Celeste with Cayden. A bored Aubrey was sitting on the arm of a leather chair, watching the ditzy blonde brush her hand against his bicep like she would prefer to blind herself with a rusty fork.</p><p>“You’ve never been? It’s lovely,” he told Celeste. “They enchant it through the seasons so the sun’s always shining. You could spend an entire day there, from morning to night.”</p><p>“You’ll have to take me sometime…me and Damon, of course,” she said, flirting as she often did despite her marriage. “He doesn’t like to travel much but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you showing me around.”</p><p>“What the hell are you doing here?” spat Adrian. </p><p>He reached for his wand, his hand hovering over his back pocket. Draco initially thought it was Cayden’s doing but then, both of his parents and those of his friends, minus a few, entered the room, Mrs. Pucey the apparent caster. His confusion grew when his father apologized to Cayden and requested him to move to the drawing room, Aubrey and Draco’s mother sharing glances of mutual loathing. </p><p>“We did not send for you children to be disrespectful,” said Mr. Nott, wiping specks of blood from his palm with a handkerchief. “You know better, Theodore. Your brother does not need to deal with your hysterics.”</p><p>“Father, have you gone mad? That psycho kidnapped us,” replied Theodore, as if their parents were clueless to his past actions. “Are you forgetting that he held us hostage for days?” </p><p>“You were never in any danger, Theodore,” he said, dismissively. “You were solely taken to maintain appearances. If you weren’t, it would draw suspicion.”</p><p>“Is that what he told you? Because you weren’t there when he was strangling Davies with his bare hands.” None of their parents seemed unaffected by his words. “That could’ve been any of us if we hadn’t been found sooner.”</p><p>“Enough,” said Draco’s father, with stern coolness. “Cayden is an ally to our cause. The Dark Lord trusts him and so shall all of you. His knowledge is extremely valuable and he is here at our behest to aid the injured, which includes your families. The past is of no importance and you will put it behind you.”</p><p>“Was Mother hurt?” Selene asked her father, noting her absence. </p><p>“Nothing that won’t heal over time,” assured her father. “The injuries aren’t our primary concern. I assume Severus is concocting a story for Dumbledore?”</p><p>Draco quietly nodded in response. His mother steered them towards the kitchen, unwilling to answer their numerous questions. He managed to get out of her that the incident involved a run-in with Kane Carlisle, Theodore’s older brother Rhys, Selene and Pansy’s mothers, and Adrian and Graham’s fathers among the injured in the fight. Before losing consciousness, Mrs. Parkinson sent a message to the manor. His mother kept tight-lipped, ordering their house-elf Opal to attend to them while they prepared for the arrival of the Dark Lord. </p><p>As she disappeared through the door, Opal conjured an array of snacks. “They’re definitely under an imperius curse, right?” asked Adrian, taking a pumpkin pasty. “No way they’d work with him.”</p><p>“Well, he <em>did</em> live with Carlisle, didn’t he? He must know things about him that no one else does,” suggested Pansy. </p><p>“Who cares? He’s completely off his rocker, Pansy.” She merely shrugged, knowing he was right. “Carlisle’s been working with Dumbledore from the beginning. Why would they need him now?” </p><p>“Opal, how long has he been in the manor?” Draco asked, turning to the small house-elf.</p><p>Lowering the tray of sandwiches, she twisted the tattered pink cloth around her. “Would Master like—”</p><p>“Master would like an answer,” he interjected, causing the elf to tug down on her ears in fright. “Has he been living here?” </p><p>“N—no, Master,” she squeaked. “He visited once over the summer and then again, the night the aurors saved you, Master. Speaking for hours in the study with Master’s father and the Dark Lord and he visits very often with his friend. Opal hears them talk of very bad things when bringing drinks. You is best not to be alone with Mr. Coller. He is a bad man.”</p><p>“Is this how low we’ve sunk, agreeing with a house elf?” muttered Theodore. </p><p>At the sound of a familiar laugh, Draco’s guard rose and Aubrey and Cayden walked into the kitchen, talking amongst themselves. Aubrey snapped her fingers at Opal, ordering her to get them glasses of red wine. Bowing her head, Opal conjured the glasses on her tray. </p><p>“Merlin, she’s slow, isn’t she?” she said to Cayden, taking the glasses while Opal left to attend to their parents. He was adjusting his sleeve. “A shitty house-elf for a shitty family.”</p><p>Pansy grabbed Draco’s arm, to stop him from advancing on her. “You’re in my house, Rhodes. Keep it up and ending up in Shadow Isle will the least of your worries.”</p><p>Smirking, she leaned against the door and took a sip of her wine. She was not foolish enough to physically harm him, not with his parents around and whatever deal had been made between them. </p><p>Cayden drained his glass and looked over at Selene. “You’ve recovered from that stinging jinx quite quickly.”</p><p>Selene furrowed her brow. “Wh—”</p><p>He smashed the glass against Graham’s face and slammed his head into the marble countertop. A harsh blow struck Draco’s chest, knocking him and the others back, and Aubrey conjured a barrier between them and Cayden. She motioned that the door was soundproofed, making it pointless for them shout for their parents. Graham groaned, his face sliced by the shards of glass. </p><p>“Do you think I’m an idiot?” hissed Cayden.</p><p>“Stop it!” begged Selene. </p><p>“I wasn’t certain when you arrived so I was testing you as your friends whined to your parents and I tried it again just now. If the link wasn’t severed, your girlfriend’s pretty face would look much like yours.” He pushed down on Graham’s head, the glass sliding up his cheek. “Kane lifted it, didn’t he?” </p><p>Aware of what Cayden meant, Draco feigned the same cluelessness as his friends. “Y—yes,” sputtered Graham. “He figured it out the night you took the Hogwarts students. He was questioning everyone outside the pub and somehow, he knew that I was spying for you.”</p><p>“Leave him alone!” Selene tried to break through the barrier. “Let him go, you psycho!”</p><p>“The ring that Lukas gave me to communicate with him. It’s how he figured it out,” he said, fighting the pain. “He knew because the real rings have a phoenix, not a dragon. I didn’t tell him anything. He lifted the linking spell and told me to act normal.” </p><p>“He sent the two of you after it, didn’t he? You got it at Hogwarts. The Ministry maps wouldn’t show it and you went searching while I was distracted with those brats,” he growled. “Where did she put it?”</p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Was it the reason for his new alliance with the Dark Lord, to regain something stolen by Carlisle? "Dumbledore wouldn’t let us out of the castle.” </p><p>Aubrey warned him that someone was nearing the door. He lifted Graham from the counter by a fistful of his hair. </p><p>“We’re not done, you feeble worm,” he said, healing his face with a flick of his wrist. “I’ll tell that slut of a stepmother of yours to keep your father busy so we can have a chat. I’m going to teach you to keep your worthless mouth shut.” </p><p>Slamming his head against the counter again, he left the kitchen with Aubrey. A teary-eyed Selene tended to him, despite Graham objecting to her help. Unlike Draco, she was far more forgiving, indifferent to him purportedly assisting Cayden in his endeavors. </p><p>“It was about your mother. That’s the one reason you’d be so mental,” she whispered. “I don’t care, Graham. We can go to our parents, tell them that he was using you and then they’ll deal with him.”</p><p>The door opened again, revealing Snape. “The Dark Lord is on his way. Your parents would like you with them to greet him. Carrow, are you crying? What has happened?” <br/>“C—Cayden was in here,” she stuttered. “Graham’s been spying on Hogwarts for him. Kane Carlisle broke the spell he was using to make him do things and—and Cayden found out and he hurt him.” </p><p>Snape frowned slightly. “I presume that is what you and Carlisle were discussing in my office?” he asked Graham. “What have you been telling him?”</p><p>“He would ask about Dumbledore or students like Davies and Potter. He asked me to set up a meeting with Selene’s cousin Gwen to find something,” explained Graham, staring at the floor. “He thinks I found it while he was holding everyone hostage in that hideout but I don’t know what it is, professor. I didn’t mean to…he said if I helped him, he’d break out my mother from Azkaban.” </p><p>“Do not blame yourself. Taking advantage of others is his specialty. You are not the first and you won’t be the last. We will keep this between us.” Selene was about to speak out in defiance. “Bringing this to your parents’ attention will achieve nothing. Do you believe the Dark Lord will be sympathetic to his plight, Selene? He is singularly focused and to that end, your parents are as well to ensure his success. I will speak with Cayden myself.”</p><p>Draco did not think it was wise to confront someone that unstable without backup. As talented as Snape was, Draco doubted that he would be able to convince him to spare Graham’s life. What could he say to make him forget what he perceived as a betrayal, much like the Dark Lord would do to a disloyal death eater? </p><p>In the drawing room, the table was gone, replaced by several stretchers lined from end to end and bearing a relative, another ally, or someone Draco suspected to be working for Cayden. Aubrey was in the corner, peering into a two-way mirror, while he inspected an unconscious, bruised Rhys. While some wives stayed by their husband’s sides, Celeste had no interest in her own, instead talking to Selene’s older sister Athena. The parents paid no mind to their visibly shaken children, Selene clinging to Graham so he did not confront the apathetic Celeste. </p><p>That tension amplified as Draco’s father arrived with the Dark Lord, any hope of airing out their grievances with Cayden evaporating in an instant. Draco had rarely spent time around the menacing wizard, never one on one, but he could feel his presence even if he were several floors away from him. It was evocative of when he had been in Cayden’s hideout, though Cayden was not as fearsome. </p><p>Mimicking his mother, he lowered his head in respect. “Always a pleasure to have you in our home, my lord. There is no greater honor.”</p><p>“Such a gracious host, Narcissa. It is a shame that it is under these circumstances,” he said in a high, cold voice. “My great followers, bested by a single man.” </p><p>Mr. Parkinson spoke up amongst the group. “My lord, clearly there was—” </p><p>“Silence, Tristan. Clearly,” he said, in a mocking tone. “I’ve thought too highly of your abilities. It is fortunate that we were separated or I daresay you may have been attending your wife’s funeral. Don’t you agree, Cayden?” </p><p>He was peering at dried blood under Rhys’s ears. “Of course, my lord. Your wisdom is unparalleled.” How could anyone believe such an obvious act? “Kane wasn’t alone. You can tell by their injuries. He’s forceful, brutal, doesn’t mind breaking a bone or two…he was in the apothecary while his partner was in the woods.”</p><p>“Did you not tell us that his team would be engaged in other matters, searching for your followers who escaped their grasp?” questioned Draco’s father. “Dumbledore never left the castle and at the time, he was conducting a meeting with the Order. We chose that time to search the apothecary because they would be occupied, according to Severus.”</p><p>“Perhaps he was misinformed,” insinuated Cayden. </p><p>“Every member was accounted for, my lord,” insisted Snape, barely hiding his contempt. “I would not make such an error. The Order had no part in staking out the apothecary. I could attempt to find out from Carlisle who accompanied him. He’s not the most forthcoming but he may tell Dumbledore under the right circumstances.”</p><p>“Why wait for a potential answer when we can get it ourselves?” Cayden nodded towards Rhys. “His eyes are open, which means he could’ve seen them even after being taken down. It’s a simple memory retrieval for any wizard with half a brain.” </p><p>Some of the death eaters bristled at his comment. Though Mrs. Pucey argued the image would be blurry, he looked to the Dark Lord for permission. What if he manipulated the memory to pin someone like Graham as Carlisle’s accomplice? A thin, silver mist oozed from Rhys’s eye, swirling above his body as Cayden twisted his wand in a counterclockwise direction. Within the mist, an image of the woods, where Rhys had fought, formed and expanded to show an entire purview of the dark surroundings, much like a pensieve. </p><p>“I’ll find out where she keeps the vials and if she doesn’t cooperate, you can step in, Thalia,” said Rhys, referring to Selene’s mother. “She’s coming.” </p><p>A figure in a scarlet cloak walked along the path, towards a well-lit village in the distance. She halted at a line of flames materializing on the ground. </p><p>Rhys stepped out from behind a tree, his wand tip glowing orange. “No need to be alarmed, Mrs. Yates. If you answer my questions, you can be on your way. I hear you’ve got quite the collection of ingredients in your apothecary. I’d like to ask about a specific one, an ingredient that is rather expensive and not on display for your typical clientele. Don’t go reaching for your wand. A frail thing like you, it wouldn’t be much of a match.”</p><p>As something silver flew from her pocket, Draco thought it was a spell until a thin dagger hit Rhys’s hand, causing him to drop his wand. Whoever it was, possibly Carlisle’s partner masquerading as the apothecary owner, a golden whip emerged from their sleeve, wrapping around his throat. The hooded figure sent him flying over their shoulder and into Mrs. Carrow, who was about to cast a hex. </p><p>“Avada kedavra!” shouted Rowle, a brawny death eater with an equally aggressive demeanor. </p><p>A jet of bright green light hit the cloaked figure in the chest, their body crumpling to the ground. If Rowle was on the stretcher, his face partially burnt, how had the owner survived the curse? He kicked the hooded figure from their side, the hood falling to expose the figure as a straw dummy. </p><p>“Wow, nice shot.” </p><p>Cayden had to have altered the memory. There was no other explanation for Draco to recognize that voice. Standing atop a branch above Rowle was Katrina, her hair in a high ponytail and wearing a uniform that resembled Moore’s when he infiltrated Cayden’s compound. No one would have expected Carlisle’s partner to be a teenage girl. The Dark Lord looked intrigued while Snape’s mouth receded into a thin line, an indescribable emotion in his eyes. Catching various reactions, mainly disbelief, Draco noticed a subtle smirk on Cayden’s face. </p><p>“I’ve got good aim too,” she said, like it was a casual conversation. “Twinsies.” </p><p>Katrina jumped down to avoid another curse. The moment her feet touched the ground, it shifted upward beneath Rowle, launching him into the thicket of trees. She dodged a stunning spell from Avery, the spell cutting through a tree trunk. As he blasted apart a large piece of the trunk that she hurled at him, she used the distraction to kick at his knee, to mess with his stance, and conjured vines to restrain him. A thick black cord winded around her wrist, held by Mrs. Carrow to achieve the same effect. It also showed that she was not wearing her gloves. </p><p>Rhys picked up his wand with his uninjured hand. “You think you’re tough, you little bi—” </p><p>Both he and Mrs. Carrow held the sides of their heads, Selene’s mother struggling to sustain her spell. The way they fell to their knees, Draco was reminded of his fight with Davies and Barnes outside the Gryffindor common room. At the time, he had blamed the unknown spell on Davies’s older brother, who had hurried to his brother’s side as the pain ceased and possibly pointed to Draco as the caster to avoid being reprimanded for harming a student. He never saw Katrina near the scene but there was no mistaking the similarities. Mrs. Carrow losing concentration, blood dribbling out of her left ear, the whip disintegrated and a silverish glow encircled Katrina’s hand. </p><p>The memory began to fade, due to Rhys losing consciousness, just as Rowle slinked out from the trees. While Cayden attempted to repair the broken memory, Katrina pulled Rowle towards her and punched him with her glowing hand. The blow sent him hurtling inches from where Avery was fighting the vines, Rowle unconscious and sporting those burns. Broken bits of conversation filtered through the shaky images, Draco guessing that the massive figure volleying spells back and forth with her was Stark. </p><p>“A bit of downgrade, isn’t it? You’re lucky he isn’t here,” said Katrina, dodging a curse that froze multiple trees. “The way you’re fighting, you would’ve been down in two seconds.”</p><p>Draco observed a shared glance between Aubrey and Cayden. The memory faded to black, the mist receding back into Rhys’s eye. His father immediately requested Draco bring his friends to his bedroom while they had a ‘private discussion’. </p><p>“What was Potter doing there?”</p><p>“How did she do any of that? What was the spell she used on—”</p><p>“Quiet,” Adrian said to a chattering Pansy and Theodore. “Our parents are probably talking about that right now. I know a spell from my father that can help us listen in on them. They didn’t look too pleased with Cayden, did they? We might get to see them throw him out on his ass.” </p><p>He pointed his wand at Draco’s mirror, moving it in a circular pattern. The drawing room was reflected in the glass, Draco’s father rounding on Cayden.</p><p>“You failed to disclose the full extent of her abilities,” he said, with a perceptible ire. </p><p>Cayden did not seem worried about any backlash. “How would I disclose something I was unaware of, Lucius? Her abilities are greater than I expected at her age. It’s like comparing any two wizards. By fourth year, some are capable of levitating a desk and others still struggle with a feather.” </p><p>“This is beyond levitation charms.” He turned towards the Dark Lord, who kept his silence. “My lord, I am aware of the agreement that was made in exchange for his valuable assistance but surely you can agree that there is only one solution to this problem.”</p><p>“Lucius,” started Snape.</p><p>“Carlisle is playing by his own rules, not Dumbledore’s. If he’s willing to put her out there, we are not prepared for it. We have no idea the extent of her gifts. He claimed to know,” he said, facing Cayden. “And yet he was wrong. She stands in the way of getting to her brother. This fight will be heavily one-sided unless the Potter girl is put down.”</p><p>Draco was stunned by his father’s proposal. How could he consider killing a teenage girl? His mother and a few others looked rightfully uneasy with taking her life. </p><p>“I hate to interrupt but I need to talk to Cayden about a separate problem, one that doesn’t involve you whining over a teenager,” said Aubrey, earning a harsh glare from Draco’s father. “You can carry on. I’m sure we won’t miss much of this riveting debate.”</p><p>“Follow them,” Draco told Adrian, as she and Cayden left the room. “I saw Aubrey give him a look right before the memory ended. He didn’t want anyone to see it.” </p><p>Adrian cast the charm again, searching for a mirror near the pair. “They already knew it was Katrina. What else did they need to see?” asked Graham, leaning against the door.</p><p>“Stark isn’t in the drawing room,” acknowledged Draco. "If he escaped or beat Katrina, why not show that? In his mind, wouldn’t it prove to the Dark Lord that his people are better than our parents? He’s not the kind of person to be modest.”</p><p>“Or he was captured like Lukas and Cayden doesn’t want them knowing that Carlisle could be getting information on the Dark Lord,” suggested Selene. </p><p>Adrian discovered them in a hallway near the kitchen. Aubrey held out the two-way mirror, retrieving an image from the glass. </p><p>“Confirmed it,” she said, Adrian catching her mid-sentence. “He brought it to the hideout. I doubt it was by accident. You want to do this instead of dealing with Lucius and his new agenda?”</p><p>“Lucius is an idiot. The Dark Lord won’t entertain the idea. Was he the only one?” She nodded. “Let’s see it.”</p><p>The image appeared to be another memory from the woods. Stark was standing by a blackened tree, Katrina and Carlisle across from him. She was using her wand to heal a burn on her palm, her fight with Stark as brutal as their first when rescuing the Hogwarts students with Moore. In the background, an unconscious Mrs. Carrow and Rhys were visible but as she moved towards them, Carlisle ordered her back home to check on Lukas, implying that she was living at his manor. </p><p>“Before you nabbed him, he’d never shut up about her. Those protections must be extensive if he was never able to slip into her bed. She’s a pretty one, feisty too…” Carlisle narrowed his eyes. “With that trick of hers, I get why you kept her locked up tight and here I thought Amara was impressive. She took it like it was nothing, with one hand. What’s the plan then, old friend? Hoping I’ll talk more than your nephew?” </p><p>Draco wondered why Stark was not attempting to fight him. “That would be a waste of time.”</p><p>“You’re right. You wouldn’t get much before it enacts Cayden’s curse,” he said, sounding winded. “Azkaban, then? Or will you be bringing one of these masked fools to Dumbledore to learn of their plans? I’d take the Nott boy, if it were me. He’d break the easiest but the old man prefers a gentle touch, doesn’t he? He must not know you brought her out here.”</p><p>“You believe that Albus sent me to stop that pitiful excuse for a robbery, Leon? No, he’s conducting a meeting and as far as he knows, I’m in an interrogation,” Carlisle replied, nonchalantly.  “If I cared about imprisoning these dimwitted, servile maggots, I could’ve done it when Albus alerted me to what the Potter boy had witnessed in that graveyard. He’s doomed to fail, just as he did years ago.”</p><p>“You already know I can’t tell you what Cayden’s up to…” Grabbing his collar, Carlisle slammed him into the tree. “No Azkaban, no taking me for interrogation? You wouldn’t risk angering Dumbledore for crossing his well-drawn line.” </p><p>“I’m solely here for you, old friend. I suspect Aubrey is too busy licking his boots.” The mirror cracked under Aubrey’s thumb. “You’ll have to suffice as a message.” </p><p>“Kane, I’m powerless,” wheezed Stark. “He’ll know it was your doing.”</p><p>“You’re under the delusion that my actions are dictated by him. I do as I please and this will be a great pleasure for me. Perhaps you should’ve thought twice before taking a knee to that arrogant, witless cretin,” he seethed, his hand hovering over his chest. “Perhaps you should’ve thought twice before you came for my child!”</p><p>Stark’s face was turning a faint purple. “Kane—”</p><p>“You dared to lay a hand on her and now you’ll suffer the consequences.” Blood seeped through  his shirt. “When I find Aubrey, she’ll share your fate. If that little pissant wants to start a war with me, then he’ll see exactly what’s coming for him and anyone that joins him.” </p><p>Draco’s eyes widened as Stark’s heart burst from his chest, into Carlisle’s open hand. With a terrified yelp, Pansy buried her head into Draco’s shoulder. Carlisle crushed it into dust and walked off, leaving behind Stark’s lifeless body. The memory vanished, any of Aubrey’s anger from his comments about her becoming outright fear. </p><p>Selene lowered her hand from her mouth. “Did he just—he killed him.”</p><p>“Carlisle’s got his reputation for a reason,” said Graham, the least shocked of the six of them. “No one’s ever called him soft. Aubrey must’ve seen his body through the mirror and that’s why she had him stop the memory. They’re talking again.”</p><p>“We need to show it to him,” urged Aubrey, her face as pale as the snow outside. “If anyone can stop him, it’s—”</p><p>Cayden lifted his eyes, fleetingly flickering red, from the cracked mirror. “You think Kane’s better than me? Stronger?” </p><p>“N—no, but this changes…he…”</p><p>“It changes nothing, Aubrey,” he said, not heeding her fears. “In this fight, were you under the impression that there were merely two outcomes, victory or a jail cell? I anticipated casualties. Stark is a loss, to be sure, but we have others to pick up his slack. I knew Kane would eventually catch onto the pattern of the robberies and it worked exactly as I wanted. Don’t you think so?” </p><p>Graham and Selene jumped away from the door at that last part, the voice coming from inside the room. Cayden appeared by the door despite being shown in the mirror. </p><p>“Time delay spell. I could feel you peeking in the drawing room and while you’re seeing that, I’m here and Aubrey’s channeling her fear into chewing out Draco’s father for his stupidity,” he said, seeing their bewilderment. “It was a favorite of hers. Kane never let her have sweets so she’d use the spell to sneak them into her pocket before he brought her to bed. Such a talent, even at a young age. We never finished our talk, Graham.”</p><p>“S—stay away from him, from us,” said Selene, fiercely. “I won’t let you hurt him.”</p><p>He feigned offense, placing his hand on his chest. “Why would I do that? Unlike your boyfriend, I understand loyalty and the importance of keeping a promise. I intend to uphold my end of our arrangement to free his mother but freedom doesn’t guarantee she’ll be in good condition when they reunite, does it? I only gain temporary satisfaction if I hurt you so I’d prefer to reset the terms of our deal.” </p><p>“I’m not helping you anymore.” Graham did not sound that confident. “I don’t need you to get my mother out of Azkaban. The Dark Lord will do it. I know from my father that he’s already planning it.”</p><p>“With my guidance. If I tell him that your mother was a traitor who fed information to Kane before her imprisonment, which is the reason that she had a shorter sentence than the rest, he’ll leave her to rot.” Cayden smirked, knowing it was a lie but that a tiny seed of doubt would be enough to convince the Dark Lord. “If you want her back in one piece, you’ll do as I say and if I find out that you went crying to Snape, as you did earlier, you’ll be reuniting with your mother when you see her in a coffin, if the guards even care enough to not just toss her into the ocean.”</p><p>“What more could you possibly want?” asked Graham, incredulously. “I’ve already been spying for you.”</p><p>“A kneazle could’ve done your job. Actually, the kneazle would’ve been intelligent enough to not get caught,” he said, with a chuckle. “In exchange for your mother, you’re going to bring me Katrina.” </p><p>Was he going after her because of her helping Carlisle? Graham looked at him like he grew horns and three heads. Spying was a far simpler task compared to kidnapping a student. </p><p>“Are you mad? He’s not doing that,” said Selene, answering for him. “What do you want with her?” </p><p>“That’s my business,” he replied, not waiting for Graham to agree to the insane demand. “Aubrey will keep an eye on your progress, as will my spy in the village. The longer it takes, the less likely it is that you’ll be seeing your mother again. Feel free to work together. With your combined intelligence, I put your chances of success at 0.1%.” </p><p>He left the bedroom, a fraught silence in his wake. Selene whacked Graham over the head with her purse. </p><p>“Don’t tell me you’re going along with that insanity, Graham,” she hissed, Graham rubbing the sore spot. “You can’t kidnap Katrina Potter. Not only are she and her brother the most protected teenagers in Britain, between Hogwarts, Dumbledore, and the Order, she’s a kid. She’s innocent.”</p><p>“Really? That’s what you’re going with, Cel?” asked Theodore, seemingly fine with Cayden’s offer. “Did you see what she did to my brother? To your mother?” </p><p>“That’s not fair,” countered Draco. “We don’t know the whole story. Carlisle could be manipulating her.” </p><p>“Of course you’d say that,” he muttered.</p><p>“I’m not a fan of Potter but I don’t want her dead. That’s obviously what he’s up to, right?” asked Pansy, being an unusual voice of reason. “He wants the credit to impress the Dark Lord.”</p><p>“He doesn’t want her dead.” Graham cast a soundproofing charm on the door, like Aubrey had done in the kitchen. “Carlisle’s not manipulating her. Well, maybe he is but not how you think, Draco. She lives with him.” </p><p>Learning the truth from Cayden, he confessed that Katrina’s kidnapping story presented to the Ministry was a complete fabrication. Not the victim of some deranged death eater, she was taken from the hospital by Carlisle, under the direction of Dumbledore, for her protection, possibly because the Dark Lord was targeting her family though that did not explain why her brother was left with their parents. What they had witnessed in the hideout, or even earlier in her fight with Chambers, made sense, if Carlisle had been training her like one of his special aurors all those years. Her lack of a reaction to Draco’s concerns over him using her were not her being naive, but being fully aware of his plans. </p><p>For a short time, until she was about four years old, her path intersected with Cayden, who had been living in Carlisle’s manor. He had taken the Hogwarts students to leverage their lives for hers, not to get revenge on his estranged family or his former mentor. </p><p>“She’s got this weird ability. I’ve never heard of it before but Cayden’s mother had it too. It’s why she wears those gloves. It has to do with touch,” said Graham, tapping Selene’s wrist. “She can take in magic.”</p><p>“Like the potion he made?” asked Adrian, puzzled. </p><p>“Sort of, yeah, but it’s temporary. The gloves act like a barrier, I suppose. Cayden said people like her can do it without touch when they’re older but Katrina can already do it. Like when her hand was glowing…” he said, waving his fingers. “It was from absorbing Selene’s mother’s spell, which got rid of the whip. She’s the one who told Carlisle about me helping him after she recognized his ring. The night of the concert, we went in the forest.”</p><p>“For dittany,” said Selene, recalling that night. </p><p>“If I helped her out with finding something Cayden was after, she said she’d get me unlinked from his curse. There are these tunnels underneath the forest.” Selene held back a rant regarding him entering the Forbidden Forest. “Carlisle must’ve told her about them. We found some old chest and then she had a feeling Potter was hurt so we left.”</p><p>“Well, what was in it?” Graham shrugged at Selene’s question. “It has to be a weapon. Forget not telling Snape. He’s undercover with the Order and maybe Carlisle told them about it. He’s the only one who can get through to our parents about this snake.”</p><p>Dragging Graham by his sleeve, she opened the door. Aubrey was out in the hallway, twirling a marble vase in her hands. </p><p>“Going somewhere?” she asked Graham. “Consider me your new shadow, handsome. We don’t want you fucking up more than you already have with your giant mouth. If you’d like to do something stupid, by all means. It means I get to pay mommy a visit.”</p><p>Draco took the vase from her. “Hands off, Rhodes. It’s worth more than your family could ever afford and I don’t need you dirtying up my mother’s things.” </p><p>“Let me assure you that this new alliance of ours got doesn’t mean you’re safe,” she whispered, her wand digging into his ribs. “He needs Cayden more than he needs your parents so keep that in mind with how you speak to me or I’ll gut you in your sleep.”<br/>“Shouldn’t you be more worried about ending up like Stark instead of this petty vendetta against my family?” he replied, to get under her skin. </p><p>“I can multitask.” She sharply poked him before lifting her wand. “If anyone is going to have their heart torn out, it’s your friend who’s just been tasked with taking the one thing that Carlisle gives a damn about in this world. You might want to get a new boyfriend, Carrow. Yours is on a ticking clock.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! I decided to switch things up by doing an entire chapter from Draco's perspective, to get a viewpoint that Katrina doesn't see often since she isn't on the side of Voldemort and the death eaters. Some things from the memory will be explored more in the next chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. A Hidden Agenda</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>More. </p><p>That single word had been driving Katrina’s every thought and action since Lukas dared to kiss her. The fact that he had stolen her first kiss, through an underhanded trick, was the last thing on her mind but she could not deny that it given her a sensation that was dangerously addictive. It lingered throughout her fight in the woods, Katrina fighting that growing urge to siphon each of the death eaters. When she siphoned Stark, as had been planned by Kane, she would have failed to restrain herself if her guardian had not arrived, having dealt with the death eaters and Cayden’s minions in the apothecary. </p><p>Ordered home by Kane, while he dealt with a weakened Stark, she spent what felt like hours pacing in front of the basement door, stalling the inevitable and steeling herself from Lukas’s potential manipulations. Doing her best to muddy her thoughts, she opened the steel door, a tray of food in her hand. </p><p>Tearing his eyes away from the ceiling, he smirked at her. “Hey Kitty Cat. That’s a nasty cut on your elbow. Do you want me to <em>kiss</em> it and make it better?” </p><p>Katrina levitated the tray towards him with too much force, the glass of water falling onto the floor. With a flick of her wand, she set it upright and refilled the glass, refusing to speak or step away from the door. He continued to watch her instead of eating his dinner. </p><p>“You can admit you liked it,” he teased. “I know you didn’t tell Kane. If you had, he would’ve beaten me senseless. I have two theories why you’re keeping it quiet.”</p><p>“I don’t care,” she growled. </p><p>“One, you didn’t tell him because you care about me and don’t want to see me hurt.” He raised two fingers. “Two, you finally realize that he’s been lying to you. He told you that full-on contact like a kiss or holding hands would be painful…but the truth is that you’ve never felt something so good. Why would he tell you the opposite?”</p><p>Katrina turned away from Lukas, to hide that he was getting under her skin. For all the hatred she felt towards him, he was not wrong about Kane’s past claims. He had always discouraged her from learning to control herself around physical contact, deeming it too unsafe until she was older but without an exact time frame. When she asked to test herself without her gloves, he had been hesitant but agreed on the condition that it was a trial run, not yet a permanent change. </p><p>“There’s nothing wrong with that feeling, Katrina. My uncle wants to discourage it so you’ll be an emotionless void like him but why does he get to decide that?” She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind. “Why are you thinking of Chester Davies? I knew you were into older guys but that old? Scandalous. You can’t help liking the bad boys.”</p><p>“What the hell does that mean?” she asked, finding it an odd description for Roger’s rule-abiding brother. “What do you know about him?”</p><p>“Maybe a lot, maybe nothing,” he said, dodging her question. “I’m conflicted. What do I get out of it? You won’t let me leave because even you would get a lashing from Kane for releasing a useful informant. What oh what could you offer me?” </p><p>It was obvious what he wanted but she would not be that gullible. “I’m not negotiating with you when your so-called information could be a load of dung.”</p><p>“Smart. When you’re at that Ministry party with Jace tomorrow night, go to his office and check his files. He’s a very thorough investigator and you might find an interesting detail.” She heard movement upstairs, signaling Kane’s return. “If it pans out, you’ll let me show you what else daddy dearest has been hiding from you.” </p><p>Not giving him an answer, she left the basement. Kane was reading a message that had flown through the fireplace, one of his hands covered in blood. At the sound of her footsteps, he tossed the note into the flames, the parchment burning to ash. </p><p>“Do you need me to get a potion for—” she started.</p><p>“It’s not mine. Stark’s dead,” he said, plainly. “He made the mistake of coming at me and I reacted in self defense. I retrieved his memories so we can sift through them later.”</p><p>Katrina did not understand why Stark would attack him in such a defenseless state. When they were discussing their plans to stop the robbery, Kane suspected that Stark would be involved and planned to take him for interrogation, believing that Cayden scattered information amongst his followers so only he had the entire scope of his operations. </p><p>“I’m sorry.” Kane seemed perplexed by her response. “I—I know that you two had your issues but you grew up together. It must’ve been hard for you.”</p><p>He pulled her into a surprising, one-armed hug. “You’ve got a good heart. We may have been close in the past but he was too far gone.” His clean hand cupped the back of her head. “The man I knew would not have laid his hands on a child, as he did with you in that compound. You did well out there. Dumbledore may have his reservations but I think we can do away with the gloves more often.”</p><p>“Really?” she asked, hopeful.</p><p>“I want you to get your rest. We’re going to begin your lessons tomorrow and your mind has to be sharp.” She stopped at the bottom step, after Kane called out to her. “I replayed what happened in the woods after taking care of Stark. You could’ve ended those fights quickly. Why were you toying with them?”</p><p>“They stood there and watched while Voldemort was torturing my brother in the graveyard,” she said, unable to bring herself to reveal the kiss and how it had affected her. “I thought they deserved to feel some pain too. I could’ve done worse.” </p><p>For most of the night, she laid awake in her bed, her constantly racing thoughts and shifting mood making sleep impossible. It was like she was on an incessant sugar high, her inability to concentrate illustrated by her magic acting up and randomly affecting objects in her room. Shutting off her lamp for the fifth time, her thoughts strayed towards Lukas’s offer. She would never take him at his word but her logic was outweighed by her distrust of Chester. If it was just her paranoia, why would Lukas tell her to read his work files? </p><p>The effects of the kiss had finally worn off in the morning. Woken up by Kane at sunrise, he put her through her training drills, Katrina needing to get used to practicing with an actual person instead of a wooden figure. Kane’s aggressiveness was dialed up to a fifty, perhaps due to this being their first session together since his encounter with Cayden. Three hours into the session, he showed no signs of slowing down, Katrina given a short break when Jace arrived with his father. As the two men went into Kane’s study, Katrina and Jace waited in the kitchen, where Katrina drank her weight in water bottles. </p><p>“You good?” asked Jace, as she sank into a chair. He was cooking eggs on the stove. “What’s got him in intense mode today? I thought smacking around death eaters would cheer him up.” </p><p>“Stark’s dead.” Turning away from the stove, his expression mirrored hers when she learned the news herself. “He’s not one to share his feelings so I think he’s using the drills as an outlet. I had siphoned Stark before I left so I can’t fathom how he thought he stood a chance.”</p><p>“Maybe he didn’t have a choice,” he said, handing her a plate of scrambled eggs. “Maybe he’d rather fight to the end than let himself be captured and betray Cayden. What did Kane do with the body?” </p><p>“I didn’t ask him. I suppose he buried it or he left it for Cayden to find as a warning like ‘give up or you’re next’, even if he promised the Davies he wouldn’t kill him.” Jace sat beside her. “Any luck with Natalie’s leads?” </p><p>“No. Either they really don’t know where he is or he scared them into silence.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Hell, he could be living down the block. I’m checking out an old family friend of his mother’s in Madrid after my father finishes briefing Kane. According to the last lead I spoke with, she owns an antique shop that traffics in dark artifacts and one of her assistants a few years ago matched Cayden’s description. Maybe he learned about the dagger from her. How’s your nutty Romeo?”</p><p>“Annoying unhelpful” she said, masking her nerves with mild sarcasm. “Kane’s got into his head but Cayden put up blocks. It’s like piecing together a puzzle but it should be easier with Stark’s memories to fill in the blanks. Those memories should be able to tell us more about his new partnership with Voldemort. Any deal between them won’t be good. The sooner we break them apart, the better.” </p><p>Katrina was scarfing down her third batch of eggs when Kane and Mr. Moore finished their meeting. Promising to be back at the manor for the party, Jace apparated out of the kitchen with his father, both heading to their next assignments. Kane told her to finish her breakfast then to meet him in the training room for her lessons. Washing her plate and tea cup, she wondered what he would be teaching her. How could they appease the Davies’s wishes while preventing Cayden from wreaking havoc, an increasing threat with him being in league with Voldemort? </p><p>Entering the room, still aching from the morning session, she saw Kane fiddling with a cage. He was holding a chestnut colored rabbit. Inside the cage were more rabbits of various sizes and colors.</p><p>“It’s so cute.” She glanced up at Kane. “I thought you were teaching me the spell.” </p><p>“I am,” he said, the rabbit fidgeting in his grasp. “They’re part of the lesson. What I’m going to teach you is an ancient magic, one that you won’t learn in a classroom. These lessons stay in this room, Katrina. Understood?” </p><p>“Yes,” she said, equal parts confused and intrigued. </p><p>He handed her the chestnut rabbit and grabbed another from the cage, smaller and with pure white fur. “You’ve likely read every book in the library dozens of times. Do you recall the one by Bathilda Bagshot about the middle ages? In it, she describes the warring covens that existed at the time and how those who opposed nomajs were stoking fears by pinning deaths of their brethren on those communities. They avoided detection by casting their magic from a distance.” </p><p>“Through a conduit,” she continued, remembering that chapter. “They were inspired by voodoo practices but it required a lot of power so the covens had to use linking spells or it would kill the caster.” </p><p>Kane agreed that it would severely injure an average witch or wizard but a siphon had an advantage, able to generate that immense power themselves. It explained why he thought she could handle such magic and Dumbledore’s opposition, some ancient magic considered to be rooted in the dark arts. Though not every siphon was on the same level in terms of ability, Kane deeming Cayden’s mother Amara much weaker at the height of her power compared to Katrina at present, he viewed Katrina as capable of performing the task. </p><p>He straightened out his hand inches above the white rabbit. A tiny purplish dot glowed from within its chest and then, its heart zoomed into his hand. She unintentionally hopped back and looked from the white rabbit, somehow not lifeless, to the heart, retaining the purple glow. As Kane squeezed the heart, the chestnut rabbit began twitching in her arms, uttering a high-pitched, distressing scream. </p><p>“S—stop,” she pleaded. </p><p>He loosened his grip and once her rabbit stopped flailing, he slipped the heart back into the white rabbit. “I won’t lie to you. It is dark magic but there are times where we must put aside notions of light and dark and do what is necessary.” </p><p>“You promised the Davies you wouldn’t kill Cayden.” Katrina held the chestnut rabbit against her, afraid that he would hurt it. "Is this some way around that? Have me do it—”</p><p>“I am not asking you to kill anyone. If it comes to a point where we cannot restrain him and the threat he poses is too great, this is our sole option. I would prefer to put him in the ground, to spare you the trouble, but I swore a vow to Andrew Davies.” She proposed giving the deed to Mr. Moore or another member of the task force. “An unbreakable vow.” </p><p>“Why would you do that?!” she shouted, fearing the worst. “What if he goads you into a fight and it happens by accident? That counts, Kane!” </p><p>“Do you think so little of me, that I could be manipulated that easily?” His lips twitched, as if he was about to smile, until he spotted the tears in her eyes. “I had no choice. He knew about you, Katrina. He and Robards are good friends and Robards knew you weren’t taken from Hogsmeade. He witnessed you speaking with Ginny Weasley and when he questioned Jace about bringing you along, he said you threatened to inform me that he disobeyed my orders if you weren’t allowed to accompany him. When Andrew saw me in the hospital wing with you, he knew that your story was a lie.” </p><p>If Mr. Davies was aware of her lies to the Ministry, did he mention it to Chester too? “I—it doesn’t prove anything,” she stammered. “You could’ve told him I’m a stubborn brat who wanted to save her brother.” </p><p>“He threatened to go to Fudge if I didn’t take the vow. You know the law regarding siphons,” he said, his reason for accepting Mr. Davies’s offer obvious. Kane placed his hands on her shoulders. “If Fudge learned what you are, Katrina, he’d kill you. Your age doesn’t matter to the Ministry. They only see what they fear, not who you are on the inside. I will never let that happen and I will not be tricked into killing Cayden. Everything I’ve ever done, since I brought you into this home, is to protect you.” </p><p>He wiped her tears with the back of his hand. Not completely convinced that he would not find himself in a situation where taking Cayden’s life was the sole outcome, she managed to speak, asking how the spell she could use the spell without killing him. Her siphoning abilities the key, his plan was for her to cast a desiccation spell. In most cases, it was accomplished by gaining directly access to a person’s bloodstream, like through a deep cut, but it would be risky to get that close to Cayden. If she used another heart as a conduit, siphoning the enchantment as she would when making physical contact, she could transfer its effects to Cayden, rendering him immobile. </p><p>“What happens to him after that is up to the Davies,” he said, regrettably. “If it was up to me, we’d seal him in a box and drop it into the ocean but they are his relatives and that decision lies with them.” </p><p>“What if they don’t approve of the spell?” she asked, envisioning their outrage. </p><p>“That isn’t our problem,” he replied, showing no sympathy. “As I said, this is a last resort and if they want to keep up the illusion that he’s worth keeping alive, they will have to accept that their paths are limited. A spell like this requires practice and precision. You won’t learn it in a day and if you think you’ve mastered it, there are several ways it could go wrong in the heat of battle. We’ll practice every day until you’re back at Hogwarts. I won’t force you to do this so if you don’t wish to learn, tell me now.”</p><p>No longer thinking about Lukas, her mind was plagued with thoughts of the unbreakable vow. “No. I—I want to try. Anything to stop Cayden…”</p><p>The spell was the most difficult she had ever attempted, needing, as Kane said, complete precision. Taking out the enchanted heart, without killing the host, was hard enough, Katrina losing her resolve when face to face with a rabbit. Her driving force was protecting Kane. If she desiccated Cayden, it would save him from breaking his vow to Mr. Davies. Jace’s voice carrying through the door, they ended the lessons for the day, Katrina making a fair amount of progress. </p><p>“You weren’t training again, were you?” asked Jace, as they entered the living room. “Kane, she’s gonna drop dead.” </p><p>“That lazy attitude is precisely why she’ll be the best of you, if she isn’t already,” he retorted, Jace grinning despite the criticism. “How did it go in Madrid?”</p><p>“She was tough to crack but a little flirting and boom, she was an open book. Side note, she got handsy so if we need to go back there, don’t send me. I’m fragile.” Katrina stifled a laugh. “She confirmed that he worked there around the time of his supposed death. She offered to hide him from the mean bully who wanted to hurt him.”</p><p>“And the dagger?” inquired Kane.</p><p>Jace took off his coat. “They spoke about it but he didn’t learn about it from her. She thinks it’s just a myth and him obsessing over it was what led him to leave a few months into his stay. She didn’t like talking about that night but I did find out that she helped him create that potion. We could get the ingredients from her to break it down and make an antidote.”</p><p>“Unnecessary. I swiped a sample from the goblet Lukas used on Katrina and she’s been working on an antidote when she’s not in classes.” Kane checked his watch. “You two should get dressed. I want to speak with you both before you leave for the Ministry. Katrina, there are dresses to choose from in your closet.” </p><p>In the midst of curling her hair with her wand, she decided to check on Harry, knowing he was reeling from their shared dream about Mr. Weasley’s attack. Ever since she left Grimmauld Place, her moments of privacy were few and fleeting, between dealing with Lukas, the apothecary robbery, and her rollercoaster of emotions. She twirled her wand in a circular pattern in front of her vanity mirror, focusing on the mirror in his room. Her reflection was replaced with his room, showing Ron and Ginny on his bed.</p><p>“Katrina?” asked Ginny, getting to her feet. “How—are you um coming back soon?” </p><p>“Probably by the weekend.” Both of them were anxious. “How’s your dad feeling?” </p><p>“The healers patched him up. He was itching to go home but the poison from the snake’s fangs keep his wounds open so if they take off the bandages, he starts bleeding,” said Ron, scratching his ear. “Mum kicked us out to let the adults talk about what happened and how you and Harry dreamt it. Moody sort of implied that Voldemort was possessing Harry and that’s why he was viewing it through the snake. He’s kept to himself since we left the hospital. Hermione’s trying to get him out of Buckbeak’s room.” </p><p>Almost like he was summoned by Ron saying his name, the door opened and Harry walked into the room with Hermione, who was telling him about having to wait for the official end of term before departing on the Knight Bus. Based on the heavy bags under his eyes and his extremely disheveled hair, he had gotten less sleep than Katrina. </p><p>Hermione brushed the snow out of her hair. “Umbridge is already livid that you lot disappeared under her nose—Katrina!” </p><p>His eyes snapped to the mirror. “Why aren’t you back yet?” he asked, storming over to her. “What’s on your face?” </p><p>“It’s called makeup, you buffoon,” she snapped. “Don’t think I can’t smack you through the glass. What’s got your wand in a knot? Why are you avoiding everyone?” </p><p>“I’m not,” he said, sounding as believable as a giant masquerading as a pixie. </p><p>“Oh, don’t lie, Harry,” said Hermione impatiently, sitting next to Ginny. “Ron and Ginny say you’ve been hiding from everyone since you got back from St. Mungo’s.” </p><p>A heated exchange erupted between Harry and Ginny at his voluntary isolation from Sirius and the Weasleys, Hermione acting as a mediator and Ron a silent observer. Harry responded poorly to Hermione bringing up what he had overheard through Fred and George’s extendable ears. </p><p>One of his sneakers flew across the room, hitting his head. “Ow! Katrina!” </p><p>“Quit being an asshole and listen to someone who knows what they’re talking about, you dingbat. You weren’t possessed.” He kept quiet, his face flushed in anger. “He couldn’t possess you from hundreds of miles away. When Cayden possessed Roger—Ron, it’s a long story—he could only do it because they share a bloodline. So if you want to keep going with this theory, enlighten us on how he got into your bedroom to take over your body and then got you out of the castle, into the Ministry, and back in your bed in thirty seconds.”</p><p>“It was a bit stupid of you not to want to talk to us,” said Ginny, his dwindling anger transferring to her. “Seeing as you don’t know anyone but me who’s been possessed by you know who and I can tell you how it feels…”</p><p>Ginny dismantled his theory with her own experience of possession in her first year, when writing in Voldemort’s old diary. Unlike her, he did not have blank periods where he could not remember his whereabouts. Despite that, Harry was unable to let go of viewing Mr. Weasley’s attack through the snake, not from the side like Katrina.</p><p>“You can’t apparate or disapparate inside Hogwarts!” chorused Katrina and Hermione. </p><p>“You didn’t leave your bed, mate” said Ron, encouragingly. “I saw you thrashing around in your sleep about a minute before we could wake you up.” </p><p>“Can I talk to Harry alone?” asked Katrina.</p><p>As Hermione, Ron, and Ginny left the room, urging him to join them for dinner, he turned towards the mirror. “Please tell me you’re coming back. You promised we’d spend Christmas together. Why can’t Carlisle visit here instead of keeping you to himself?” </p><p>“I’ll be there for Christmas,” she assured him. Though he was not under the delusion that he was Voldemort’s puppet, he still seemed to be shouldering an immense weight. “We finally got Lukas to crack. I’m the only person he’ll talk to and he’s not fooled by polyjuice potion or illusion charms. It helped Kane capture Stark.” </p><p>“I just—I miss you. Maybe I wouldn’t have shut myself away if you were here. Why are you getting dressed up?” he asked, referring to her makeup.</p><p>“A MACUSA party,” she lied. “Kane wants to talk to the president about pressuring Fudge to accept Cayden’s involvement. According to Kingsley, the aurors aren’t doing much to find him because Fudge thinks it was Sirius using his face as a cover. I’m like 90% sure Kane will strangle Kowalski when he cites his duty to not overstep into the business of other countries so I offered to go with him.” </p><p>Hearing Jace, she swore she would contact Harry either after the party or the next day, depending on Kane’s temperament. She reversed the charm on her vanity mirror and allowed Jace into her room, finishing with her makeup. Dressed in a black tux, he fiddled with his sleeves, reminiscent of a fussy toddler. Jace rarely enjoyed these gatherings, often whining to Katrina about conversing with stuffy, phony adults (“Picture a room of Malfoys”) and the older women attempting to pair him with their daughters and granddaughters or, now that he was older, those women were interested in having him for themselves. </p><p>“At least you have a date,” she said, sorting through the dresses in her walk-in closet.</p><p>Jace let out a quiet scoff.  “Like that’ll stop those vul—”</p><p>His voice trailed off as she stepped out of the closet, wearing a long-sleeved, floor-length ivory silk dress. “It’s black and white theme, right?” she asked, putting on a pair of taupe heels. “I’ve never been to a fancy party or any party, really. Do I look okay?” </p><p>“Yeah, you uh—awesome, yep, good. Kane’s downstairs. We should…” He nearly bumped into the doorframe. “Downstairs…”</p><p>Grabbing her clutch, she followed him to the living room where Kane was perusing a map of the Ministry. While he went over the details of their mission, Jace appeared to be distracted, gazing at everything, from an armchair to a painting on the wall, except for her. </p><p>“Katrina will chat up Fudge and you search his office.” Kane snapped his fingers, bringing Jace’s attention away from his polished shoes. “Jace, I need you focused. Lucius has been visiting him twice a week and I doubt it is to discuss donations. He must have planted an object in his office to allow Voldemort to listen in on the Ministry. If we can find it, you can create a duplicate and we can use the original to spy on Malfoy Manor.”</p><p>“To see if Cayden’s meeting with them. Didn’t Snape say that he’s seen him there?” he questioned. <br/>“I don’t want confirmation that he attends a public meeting. I’m interested in the ones in secret. When you get confronted by Lucius, which you inevitably will, you’ll move onto the next phase, whether or not you’ve gotten into Fudge’s office.” Conjuring a silver sphere, he handed it to Katrina. “Use this to persuade him.” </p><p>“What is it?” she asked, trying to not siphon its magic. </p><p>“It contains Stark’s death,” he replied, folding up the map. “Though they may have a clear picture of the other night, through the memories of their injured, I know Cayden will have ensured some aspects remain hidden to fit his agenda. If Lucius is being stubborn, you give it to him and Jace, you say exactly what I told you, word for word. Katrina, if you feel yourself losing control, you put on your gloves and return home, with or without him.” </p><p>An old-fashioned Ministry car was parked on the street. She greeted the driver as she edged into the backseat, uncomfortable with his lecherous stare through the rearview mirror. </p><p>Jace raised the glass partition, concealing the middle-aged man. “Hey, be careful tonight.”</p><p>“I won’t lose control,” she whispered. “Ironically, fighting without the gloves was—” </p><p>“This isn’t about the gloves or a death eater plotting to curse you for hurting their friends. I know you’ve been around people at Hogwarts but the guests at these parties aren’t always the most upstanding of society,” he said, apprehensively. “We won’t be side by side the entire night and you’re not hideous.” </p><p>“Thanks?” she joked.</p><p>“My point is that if someone bothers you, you get away from them then tell me and I’ll get them a private bed in St. Mungo’s,” he said, speaking like a protective brother. “Playing nice doesn’t give a drunk skeeze consent to put his hands on you.” </p><p>The car lined up with others in front of an ornately garnished, marble building. Past the doors was the main entrance to the Ministry, the inside of the building converted into a ballroom for the annual Ministry holiday party. Anti-muggle enchantments were cast by the aurors to deter a muggle from approaching the building, to avoid any uninvited guests. A few well-dressed people, Katrina recognizing Hogwarts students with their parents, were outside the building, in line to get into the party or engaged in conversations, and at the double doors, a woman was checking invitations. </p><p>Jace climbed out of the car and held open the door, throwing a nasty look presumably at the driver. Taking in the bright lights and flashy decorations, Katrina held onto his arm and they walked up the steps, to stand behind an elderly couple. Dozens of pairs of eyes flickered in their direction, Katrina tuning out their curious whispers. The party itself was more daunting, the ballroom packed from wall to wall with the reputed ‘who’s who’ of wizarding society, including the ‘stuffy purebloods’ Jace despised and high-ranking Ministry officials. </p><p>“Ugh, Robards and Scrimgeour are coming this way,” Jace groaned. “They’ve been hounding Kane for days about their mountain of evidence to prove Sirius kidnapped the Hogwarts students. Why don’t you save yourself and get us drinks? I’ll meet up with you once I’ve dealt with them.” </p><p>“Use your words, not your fists,” she advised, patting his arm. “It’s not in the holiday spirit to punch an auror.” </p><p>Katrina headed over to the drinks table. As she reached for two glasses of champagne, another person beat her to it, a boy in his early twenties. </p><p>“I don’t think I’ve seen you here before and I’ve been to plenty of these dull parties.” He licked his lips. “What’s a pretty thing like you doing all alone?”</p><p>The arms that wrapped around her waist were not Jace’s, apparent from the less defined muscle alone. “Sorry about that. My mother was introducing me to an old classmate of hers and they were going on and on about their school days,” said Draco, Katrina forcing a smile to go along with his ruse. “Keeping my date company, Higgs? Thanks for getting our drinks.”</p><p>He swiped the glasses from the older boy. A staring contest ensued between them, Higgs muttering to himself before moving on to harass a different girl. </p><p>“Get off me,” hissed Katrina, knocking down his arms with her elbows. </p><p>“Oh, thank you for saving me from that git, Draco,” he said, mimicking her. “You’re welcome. What the hell are you doing here?” </p><p>“Unless you’ve been adopted by Fudge as part of some shady deal, which I wouldn’t put past your father, I don’t have to answer you. It’s not your party but if you want to be nosy, Jace’s parents were busy with a prior engagement so he’s here in their place and he asked me to be his plus one.” Fudge and his wife were visible in the crowd. “Bye.”</p><p>Draco kept blocking her from leaving the table. “That’s today’s story? Dance with me.” </p><p>“I’d rather chew off my arm,” she replied, not wanting to lose a chance to corner Fudge. </p><p>“Fine. While Moore’s busy with Scrimgeour, have fun with Higgs coming back for a second round or maybe you’d prefer Mr. Rickton,” he said, indicating a guest behind her. “He’s already had a few and he’s eyeing you like a slice of chocolate cake. He’s not the type to care about a girl being of age. You can ask Selene about last year’s holiday party.”</p><p>Fudge disappeared from her line of sight. “One dance,” she conceded. “Or until Jace is finished and he threatens to stuff your head down a toilet for being an annoying prick.” </p><p>Satisfied with her terms, he brought her onto the dance floor. Bracing herself for physical contact, the first since Lukas, she caught a slight hesitation in his expression before he clasped her hand, his other hand resting on her waist. She would rather not imagine what the older women around them were gossiping about, likely believing them to be an actual couple. With the dance floor away from the crowd, she was unable to find Fudge among the guests.</p><p>“I know, Katrina.” </p><p>Draco snapped her out of her daze. “That I want this to be over? What gave it away?” </p><p>“I know the truth about you and Carlisle.” She met his gaze. “I know that he’s the person who faked your death and you’ve been living with him. Graham told us.”</p><p>“Us?” she asked, wondering if Graham was around for her to break his nose. </p><p>“Snape sent a few of us to my manor last night, the children whose relatives you and Carlisle fought with in the woods.” They continued dancing to the music. “You made me feel like a nutter for thinking he wanted to use you when the truth is that you knew I was right but you don’t care.” </p><p>“You’re not right,” she shot back. “For all the griping you do about my brother, you two are a lot alike. You both jump to conclusions to suit the narrative you’ve drummed up in your heads. So is Cayden staying with you? Do you have separate rooms or bunkbeds? That must be awkward, to have your kidnapper in your home.”</p><p>“Don’t change the subject,” he said, struggling to lower his voice around the other couples. “How can you defend Carlisle? Look at how Cayden turned out. How can you not worry that he’s doing the same with you? You could’ve been killed by Rowle.” </p><p>“I’m guessing Graham told you something else about me since you’ve been glancing at my hand,” she said, his eyes darting back to her. “It’s like I said at the pitch the day you and your friends were heckling the Gryffindor team. I’m not a damsel in distress. I’m fully capable of defending myself and if Kane hadn’t told me to hold back, those people wouldn’t be at this party.” </p><p>Seeing Jace wind through the crowd, she lowered her hand from Draco’s and met up with him. His hardened face suggested that Draco was acting as her shadow, following her from the dance floor. Jace threatened to do things worse than jamming his head in a toilet, things he would never utter in front of his mother. Giving him a subtle shove, to not cause a scene in public, he put his arm around her and led her towards a sparse corner of the room. She mumbled to him about Graham spilling her secret to Draco and other Slytherins. </p><p>“It would be a waste to wipe his memory. His father’s a more immediate problem,” he muttered, taking a glass of champagne from a passing waitress. “He’s been clocking my every move and so have his murder buddies. He’s sticking close to Fudge, which complicates Kane’s idea for you to occupy him, and my gut tells me that they’re not opposed to a fight, even if it’s inches away from Fudge. I say we go for it. I’ll do a sweep of the office and then we’ll bolt.” </p><p>“What if they see us leaving the room?” she asked, watching Draco reunite with his friends and Theodore direct a surly scowl at her. “Or they send their kids after us to give themselves plausible deniability?”</p><p>His snort was muffled by the glass. “If we’re thwarted by an idiot like Graham Montague, I’ll hand in my auror badge. We need an excuse to—heh, how much champagne did you have?” </p><p>Katrina had pecked his cheek and began a trail of kisses down his neck. “People find public displays of affection awkward,” she whispered, undoing his tie. “If Malfoy sees, he’ll just think we’re going somewhere to hook up.” </p><p>His hand rested on her lower back. “That makes sense but what if you siphon from me? You’re not wearing your gloves and—you shouldn’t be that good at this.” Casually pushing him towards the nearest hallway to the atrium, that urge resurfaced, the feeling she had gotten from Lukas. “Okay, they can’t see us.” </p><p>“I’m good,” she said, as he carefully tilted her chin. “We shouldn’t waste any time. You check Fudge’s office and I’ll check Scrimgeour’s. Nott’s older brother is an auror, isn’t he? He could’ve planted something in there.”</p><p>“Quick sweep, nothing out of place,” he instructed. “Meet back in the corner in five.” </p><p>Going into a lift, they separated at the second floor. Katrina passed the auror office and turned left to an area divided into cubicles, a sign on the door reading Improper Use of Magic Office. Chester’s cubicle was in the middle, next to his mother’s, his desk extremely tidy and organized. A stack of folders caught her eye, the one on the top bearing a label with two X’s. She deduced that the X’s corresponded to a threat level for a case, the more X’s designating it as a greater danger. </p><p>Although a folder towards the bottom had a single X for a case in London, her heightened senses were reacting to magic within the parchment. Opening the folder, she waved her hand over the pages, the hastily scribbled sentences changing from a case of biting doorknobs to a dispute in Hogsmeade. Dated for the night of the Blazing Phoenix concert, with an attached memo that the case transferred to Chester after a member of the office left for a sudden emergency, there was no mention of biting doorknobs. </p><p>The case detailed an alleged rumor of the apothecary owner selling deadly potions, later connected to muggle poisonings. One of the listed ingredients was lobalug venom, which Chester happened to find in their storeroom, and the owner was given a citation. At the end of the last page, it was written that the case was given back to the original investigator, Melinda Dowling. </p><p>At Dowling’s desk, Katrina found the apothecary case, several questions listed from followup visits with the shop. There were inconsistencies with the two visits, conducted between a week after the kidnapping and a Saturday night in mid-December. The apothecary owner had gone from a confession to selling the potions to make up for slow business to having no recollection of storing the potions in her shop, many of her answers not matching the interview in Chester’s folder. </p><p>Making duplicates of both folders and tucking the miniature copies into her clutch, she placed Chester’s folder in its original spot on his desk. “Lack of stealth must be a family trait.” Theodore straightened himself on the other side of the cubicle. “Or is this a game of hide and seek?” </p><p>“Theo!” shouted a distant voice.  </p><p>“You’re not getting away with it, Potter,” he snarled. “You won’t be able to charm your way out of trouble with the aurors for breaking into an office or what you did to my brother.” </p><p>Whipping out his wand, he pointed it at her. Draco, Selene, and Graham dashed down the hall. </p><p>“Theo, don’t,” said Draco, as Theodore raised his wand to Katrina’s face. “We’re in the Ministry. Don’t be daft.”</p><p>“No, go ahead,” she goaded. “Are you mad that I beat up your big brother? Maybe he shouldn’t be robbing innocent people. That’s not part of the auror code, is it?” </p><p>“Stop it, both of you,” admonished Graham. “Katrina, why are you in this office?” </p><p>“Do you plan on broadcasting it to the entire Ministry?” she taunted. “Want to write a memo for Fudge?” </p><p>Graham let out a laugh of disbelief. “Really? I didn’t bring it up like some fun fact.” He pointed, in turn, at Selene, Draco, and Theodore. “They saw what you did through Rhys’s memory and I wasn’t thinking properly after Cayden threatened to murder my mother if I didn’t bring you to him.”</p><p>“Which he isn’t doing,” added Selene, hinting that such an act of bravery should matter to Katrina. “<em>We</em> don’t want to fight. Our emotions are running high, aren’t they, Theo?”</p><p>“Where’s your wife? Aw, are you lovebirds fighting?” Jace’s words echoed from her clutch. “Damn, in the betting pool, I had you staying together until your twerp’s graduation. You want to sit, Damon? You look like you’ve been through the wringer.” </p><p>Katrina punched Theodore, the stringy boy falling backwards with his hands over his nose. Opening her clutch, she took out her two-way mirror, the glass showing Jace outside the building and cornered by Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Montague. </p><p>“Katrina?” She glared at Draco. “What is it?”</p><p>“Do you think I’m stupid?” she asked him. “That I don’t see through this act? You’re stalling me so your parents can hurt Jace.” </p><p>“What? They wouldn’t do that. Moore isn’t my favorite person but I know you care about him. I wouldn’t lie to you, you know that,” he implored. “Whatever is going on with our parents and Carlisle, it doesn’t involve us. We’re not enemies.” </p><p>“Well, you’re not my friend either,” she spat. “You’re in my way.” </p><p>With a swift twirl of her wand, they switched positions and she raised the floor, trapping them in Chester’s cubicle. Intent on rescuing Jace, she returned to the ballroom and weaved through the crowd, ignoring any Hogwarts students or strangers who addressed her. To the unobservant, it seemed like Jace was having a casual conversation with Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Montague (leaning on a black cane), Mr. Nott, and Snape. As she drew closer, their backs turned to her, Jace purposely tugged on his sleeve and she chucked the silver sphere at Mr. Malfoy’s head. </p><p>Spinning on his heel, he was about to draw his wand, until his gaze fell on Katrina. She stood next to Jace, ready for a fight. Snape gestured to her, the emotion behind his dark eyes speaking volumes. </p><p>“I recommend you pick that up,” replied Jace, nodding towards the sphere. “You’re not raring for a fight with her around. If you want to try, go ahead. You’re in for a nasty shock when you’re having performance issues.” </p><p>The sphere levitated into Mr. Malfoy’s hand from the wet grass. “And what is this?”</p><p>“Your path to temporary freedom.” Jace waved his hands in mock celebration. “You may think your new alliance with that lunatic is a secret but it’s not to us. Kane knows he went crying to your master after his failed kidnapping to go all in on a resurrected wizards partnership. In there is what Cayden hid from you, a memory of Stark’s death. Did he tell you that he escaped?” </p><p>“Is this your ploy?” asked Mr. Nott, cutting off Snape from questioning Stark’s fate. “Using that bit of luck to sow discord?” </p><p>“Let me assure you, gramps, it wasn’t luck that led us to Dover,” said Katrina, the older man curling his lip. “It was the runes scratched into the shelf of the last hit in the apothecary in Bristol, the clue left behind by your new buddy. It detailed the time, date, and place of your next robbery. He set you up but you knew that, right?”</p><p>“Katrina,” warned Snape. </p><p>Her question had been directed at Mr. Malfoy. “I mean, you’re the righthand man, the top dog. You were in the meeting with him and Cayden when Cayden claimed that his people were better and he would prove it in Dover by letting Kane in on the plan. Letting your friends get hurt to prove a point? That’s ruthless…unless you didn’t know anything about it. What is it exactly that you do now that he’s around, provide the snacks?” </p><p>Snape kept Mr. Malfoy from reaching for his wand. “Someone’s sensitive,” said Jace, pouting. “I know you’re old so I’ll explain this to you slowly. You’re screwing yourselves over by letting him into your club. Cayden has no allegiance to anyone but himself and when the time’s right, he’ll throw you into the fire. If you didn’t know that the robbery was a set up, what else is he doing behind your back? We came here to make an offer on behalf of Kane.” </p><p>When Kane had given this deal for Jace to present, they were not anticipating Snape being part of the audience. Kane did not consult with Dumbledore, which would undoubtedly cause tension between him and the Order, but his loyalty to the Hogwarts headmaster was always tenuous, based in a common goal and not shared principles. The offer was for the death eaters to betray Cayden with the reward of a temporary reprieve from being pursued by Kane. He would abstain from any missions by the Order to capture them. If they refused or did not give an answer by noon on Christmas Day, it meant that they would suffer the consequences of those who sided with Cayden. </p><p>“Why would we entertain such an offer? It proves that he’s afraid of his former pupil,” said Mr. Montague, leaning on his cane. “Has Carlisle lost his bite?”</p><p>“Your judgement has always been shit, Damon,” said Jace, turning to Mr. Malfoy. “Let me bring you to reality. When Cayden screws you to prop himself up in the eyes of your Dark Lord, you won’t have a scapegoat like last time, Lucius. Aubrey’s not as trusting as her father and he’s serving a life sentence for you, thanks to your wife. Is Cayden worth losing your years of hard work, your treasured legacy?” </p><p>Draco and his friends exited the building, behind the Patil twins and their parents. Scanning the small crowd, they rushed towards the simmering skirmish. </p><p>“It wasn’t luck that saved you at the apothecary either. If Kane actually cared, he would’ve taken you to the Ministry.” If not for the crowd, one of them would be throwing a hex at Jace. “Your pitiful life choices aren’t high on our list of priorities. Be thankful that we were lenient because we won’t be next time.” </p><p>“There’s no need for us to mull it over,” said Mr. Malfoy, as they walked past him. Snape’s jaw tightened, the potions professor awaiting his decision. “Your offer is rejected.” </p><p>“A moron to the end, then,” said Jace, unperturbed. “Your kids shouldn’t expect special treatment in Azkaban because rest assured, Cayden will eliminate any trace of your lines. You may think they’re the greatest gifts to wizardkind but believe me, they’re nowhere near his caliber.” </p><p>“That arrogance won’t bode well for you in a duel.” His grey eyes settled on Katrina. “Such a tragedy your life is, dear. To lose one father figure so young and to have him replaced with another who’s more disturbed than a patient at St. Mungo’s. Your own sanity must be hanging by a thread. Perhaps it runs in the family.” </p><p>“Father,” interjected Draco.</p><p>“Rather foolish of you to bring her to the Ministry, Jace. A single comment to Fudge and we know how <em>that</em> would end, don’t we?” A burning sensation flowed through her. “I wonder how resilient you’ll be when <em>our</em> plan comes to fruition and you have no one at your side to save you. Not Carlisle, not your brother…”</p><p>A reddish ball of energy formed in her right hand. Mr. Malfoy’s fingers brushed against his throat as he uttered a strained cough, subsequently becoming a violent choking fit. She repelled Jace (“Katrina, no”) with her free hand, her eyes never leaving her intended target. </p><p>“Katrina, lower your hand,” said a cagey Snape, motioning for the men to not take out their wands. </p><p>The ball danced across her fingertips. “You’re not taking anything from me,” she hissed at an unnerved Mr. Malfoy. </p><p>Jace tackled her, both of them rolling onto the floor of the living room in Kane’s manor. “Ka—” <br/>Katrina tapped his forehead, his fear overcome by a glassy-eyed expression. She helped him up from the floor, the energy ball vanishing from her hand. </p><p>“If you’re back, I assume mission accomplished?” asked Kane, looking like he had been in a solo training session. “Jace?” </p><p>“You were right. He was using a picture frame on Fudge’s desk,” said Jace, rubbing his shoulder. “Sorry. Malfoy didn’t take the offer well and it was kind of a rushed apparition.” </p><p>Jace gave him the picture frame. “I didn’t have high hopes that they would come to their senses. If they want to lump themselves in with him, it’s their downfall. Katrina?” She had been absentmindedly wringing her hands. “Something on your mind?” </p><p>The words were on the tip of her tongue. “I’ve had this weird feeling about Chester Davies and I broke into his office during the party.” She retrieved the folders from her clutch. “I think he helped Lukas and Aubrey sneak into Hogsmeade. We should question the apothecary owner but do you want me to see if I can get Lukas to talk?” </p><p>“You give him one chance,” he said, flipping through Chester’s folder. “If he makes jokes, we’ll visit the apothecary. Don’t waste your breath on appealing to him. We have work to do.” </p><p>Her heart racing, she walked down to the basement. Lukas was in the same spot as hours ago, pulling on the shackles around one of his wrists. Maybe it was the fear of her spell on Jace breaking or of being confronted by Kane for her actions, learning the truth from Snape. </p><p>Her thoughts raced at a mile a minute. “Is he part of Chimaera? Chester. Why was he in Hogsmeade that night?” </p><p>“That was so long ago. Who can remember?” he asked, as she approached him. “Is that what you wore tonight? You must’ve been driving every man in that room crazy. I bet you loved it.”</p><p>“I asked you about Chester. Why was he in Hogsmeade that night?” she repeated. </p><p>“Chester, Chester, Chester. Who cares?” he said, getting to his feet. “You don’t. You didn’t come here late at night to talk about an apothecary. You’re here to fulfill your part of the deal. Your mind’s jumbled. Oh no, were you a bad girl tonight? I’ve never seen Lucius Malfoy that terrified. What if Snape rats you out to—”</p><p>Katrina closed the gap between them with a kiss. Unlike Draco, who had been soft and gentle during their dance, Lukas dug his fingers into her waist and deepening the kiss, he pinned her to the wall, the shackles falling to the floor. His lips moved to her neck, his hand traveling down her body. </p><p>“Lukas,” she gasped.</p><p>“Don’t worry. I know somewhere they’ll never find us,” he whispered in her ear. “We can do whatever we want and this feeling never has to stop. Say yes.”</p><p>She was startled by a slamming door. “KATRINA!”<br/>“Yes,” she said, wrapping her arms around Lukas’s neck.</p><p>As the door shattered to pieces, Kane and Jace on the other side, Lukas apparated from the room. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! All feedback is appreciated.  :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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